Stella-drinking Castleford neighbour started fire near gas mains because of noisy stag party next door
A furious drunken neighbour used petrol to start a fire near a gas mains after becoming angry at a noisy stag party next door.
The pair had never had any issues previously, but Richard Armstrong lost his temper and lit the blaze in the front garden of his neighbouring property on Cutsyke Hill, Castleford.
He poured a trail of petrol to the gas box next to the house, but luckily it did not take hold.
The 60-year-old admitted a charge of arson as to whether life would be endangered. He has no previous convictions.
The court heard that the victim had been enjoying a “small stag do” in his garden on the night of June 28 last year, prosecutor Catherine Silverton said.
Shortly before 11pm the participants were playing football when they noticed an orange glow coming from the front garden. It was running from the boundary fence to the gas mains box at the side of the house.
The flames reached around five-feet in height and witnesses said they could smell petrol. The emergency services were called and the area made safe, with no lasting damage.
It was noticed that eggs had also been thrown at a car of one of the party goers, that was parked nearby.
The police arrested Armstrong the next day, and he quickly admitted starting the fire and that he regretted it.
During his police interview he said he used petrol from a can to start the fire, said he himself was drunk on Stella Artois beer but said the neighbours were being noisy and swearing.
He said he just wanted to make them aware that their antics were keeping people awake.
Little mitigation was offered by his barrister Mark Foley after Judge Robin Mairs said he would not lock Armstrong up.
However, Mr Foley did say that Armstrong suffers from PTSD that was triggered by noise. He said there had been little damage caused and described it as a “bizarre and illegal reaction”.
Judge Robin Mairs told Armstrong that his first time in court was “something of a personal tragedy” for him and added: “You have started your innings with a most serious offence.
“Almost instantly you accepted responsibility for this and have shown appropriate levels of remorse. It was an act of utter idiocy.”
He gave him a 16-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 60 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days with probation to complete.