Man given suspended sentence after starting fire which spread to neighbour's house

Ryan McInally, of Wood Street, Castleford, appeared at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, November 11.

The court heard how he started a fire on March 8 which then set fire to his neighbour’s house.

Mr Eddison Flint, prosecuting, told the court how the neighbour tried to put out this fire himself but had to call the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue service.

McInally was arrested and remanded in custody.

At the time he was serving a suspended sentence for another arson incident, Leeds Crown Court heard.

In an impact statement read to the court, the victim described how he felt under a “constant source of stress” and that he “lives in constant fear that another fire would spread” to his house and lead to his death.

Mr Flint told the court that “there is clearly psychological harm to the victim”.

Mr Robin Frieze, mitigating, told the court that McInally’s mother had asked him to get rid of some items and he had done so by setting the fire.

He added that McInally accepts that the fire “got out of hand”.

Leeds Crown Court heard that McInally pleaded guilty to the offences at the earliest opportunity and had been working in the prison servery and as a wing cleaner and had also been doing a joinery course.

Mr Frieze said: “His time has not been untroubled but he has done his best to overcome the psychological difficulties”.

Judge Mushtaq Khokar handed McInally a sentence of eight months, suspended for 18 months, with a 30 rehabilitation activity requirement.

He also increased his previous suspended sentence to add an additional two days of rehabilitation.