A Moray man has been jailed after setting a farm building on fire and causing so much damage it had to be demolished.
James Ramsay caused £120,000 of destruction after sparking a blaze at the Mill of Grange farm near Forres.
More than 20 firefighters battled for three hours to get the flames under control.
The 22-year-old was caught at the scene by tenant farmer Alexander Massie, who reported him to the police.
The incident took place on May 30, 2016, and Ramsay was locked up for 485 days when he appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday.
Fiscal, Kevin Corrins, said: “The accused was cycling from Findhorn to Forres when he stopped at the cottage to have a cigarette and went inside.
“It has been unoccupied for 20 years, but is used by a tenant farmer to store equipment
“Alexander Massie arrived and challenged Ramsay about being there, and noticed smoke coming from the building as he left.”
The court heard that Ramsay had set a cardboard box on fire and that the flames quickly spread.
Ramsay, of Grant Road in Forres, admitted “culpably and recklessly” setting fire to a box in the farmhouse, and causing the building “extensive damage”.
His lawyer, Steven Carty, asked that his client be spared prison and instead given community service.
He said: “The accused has learning difficulties and did not appreciate how serious the matter would become.”
But Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov said the consequences “could have been tragic” and that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
Following the verdict, Ramsay’s parents criticised the decision to jail their son for an “act of stupidity”.
His mum, Jackie Ramsay, said: “James has learning difficulties, I think community service would have been a more appropriate punishment.”
But Mr Massie welcomed Sheriff Pasportnikov’s tough stance.
He said: “He shouldn’t have got away with a slap on the fingers, the building had to be demolished and the fire could easily have spread and burned down more than just it.”
