An arsonist who began a £20,000 blaze at a Scots college which threatened to unfold to cylinders of explosive butane fuel has dodged jail.
Jonathan Brown set mild to a storage space at Queen Margaret College after getting off a bus at its campus in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court docket heard there have been 18 cylinders of butane, carbon dioxide and helium close by, a few of which may’ve exploded if uncovered to extreme warmth.
Brown, 33, appeared on the courtroom on Monday for sentencing after admitting a cost of wilful fireraising final month.
Sheriff Alistair Noble stated he was sparing Brown a jail time period “regardless of the character of the cost and the price of the injury”.
The sheriff stated prosecutors weren’t “difficult” Brown’s declare that he set fireplace to some leaves in a bid to maintain heat.
The courtroom heard Brown claimed he moved the fuel cylinders earlier than beginning the hearth to get them out of the best way.
Sheriff Noble informed Brown he was sentencing him to the utmost 300 hours of unpaid work as a substitute for custody.
The sheriff additionally warned him “he could also be sued in civil courtroom” in a bid to get well injury prices.
Earlier defence agent Holly McKie stated her shopper had secured employment as a bartender.
Final month’s listening to was informed Brown, of Edinburgh’s Gorgie space, was noticed on CCTV operating from the scene within the moments earlier than the flames took maintain.
Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren stated Brown received off a bus on the campus terminal at round 11.47pm. He was seen on cameras strolling round whereas smoking and consuming from a can.
Ms McLaren stated the accused was noticed “transferring backwards and forwards between the bus cease and a close-by storage room”.
The courtroom heard he “stayed on this space for a major time” earlier than operating away at 1.44am when a hearth alarm activated.
Ms McLaren stated flames shortly took maintain within the storage space, which was beneath a major stairwell, and firefighters arrived at 2.10am.
Firefighters took quarter-hour to realize management of the blaze and smoke precipitated injury to different components of the college.
Ms McLaren added Brown, who had no reference to the college, handed himself right into a police station the day after the hearth, which passed off on July 5 2020.
The courtroom heard CCTV from that night confirmed Brown “underneath the affect” and that he’d fallen asleep on the bus, solely waking up because it reached the campus.
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