Drunk arsonist jailed for 7 years after setting fire to family home in Caerphilly
Mark Saunders, 36, poured petrol on a family's front door in Caerphilly before setting it alight, forcing parents to rescue their young son from the burning house.
Parents and child flee burning home after intoxicated man sets front door alight
A family narrowly escaped death when a drunk man poured petrol on their front door and set it ablaze in the early hours, walesonline.co.uk reports. Mark Saunders, 36, of Highbury Drive, Blackwood, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday.
Saunders crept up to the home of Joshua Callaghan, Sinead Burgwyn and their seven-year-old son in Caerphilly on 24 January and poured fuel from a stolen petrol can onto the doorstep before igniting it. CCTV footage captured him limping to the door, pouring the liquid, and fleeing as flames took hold.
Callaghan was woken by a neighbour who contacted him via Facebook Messenger. He could smell burning plastic and saw smoke filling the stairwell. He roused Burgwyn and their son, who was wrapped in a wet dressing gown before the family escaped the property. Callaghan then returned to retrieve the family's dogs and was later treated by paramedics for a leg wound that required stitches. A neighbour who spotted the fire also helped contain the blaze with a hose, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the house or to neighbouring properties.
Saunders was located shortly afterwards by Callaghan's father near the scene and held until police arrived. He was found in possession of an orange lighter. Investigators confirmed the fire had been started deliberately at ground-floor level and had the potential to cause far greater destruction.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, Callaghan described the terror of that night. "When I could feel the heat of the fire I knew it was serious. The ground floor was thick with smoke and I could not see a thing. I genuinely feared the worst and thought we were going to die," he said. He added that both he and his son have since experienced flashbacks and nightmares. "I still don't know why he set fire to our house. It's alarming and constantly plays on my mind... I can't fathom what possessed him to do it, it's complete and utter madness."
Saunders initially denied responsibility but later wrote to police to apologise. In the letter he stated: "I will never again set alight to petrol pumps, I'll go back to commercial burglaries if I have to." He subsequently pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether property would be damaged or life endangered.
The court heard Saunders had previous convictions for burglary, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, robbery and exposure. In mitigation, his defence noted he had not targeted the address specifically and had a significant history of alcohol and drug misuse, as well as ADHD and psychosis. He later told police the incident was "the most stupid thing I have done in my life."
Sentencing, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said the family had been "very frightened that night" and that the outcome could have been fatal. "If the neighbour had not seen the fire they may not have woken up in time to get out with no or little injury — they may not have woken up at all," she said. "The consequences could have been extremely serious if not fatal."
Saunders will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before being considered for parole and will spend an extended two years on licence upon release.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)