A dangerous arsonist has been branded a ‘risk to life’ after setting a businessman’s van on fire in revenge for not being paid promptly.
Roland Dickinson had done some work for the victim but was offended that he had not been paid immediately. CCTV captures the moment he cycled into the man’s business premises and threw petrol at vans before setting one on fire.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it happened in July last year at industrial premises on the North Seaton Industrial Estate, near Ashington, Northumberland. Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: “The motive appears to be a disagreement between them over the defendant’s pay. He worked for him and wanted to be paid immediately, which he was unable to meet.”
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A witness attending Screwfix saw Dickinson pour gasoline over vans, throw the canister at a van and then throw a lit piece of paper at one of them, which caught fire.
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The witness said security personnel then drove after Dickinson and took his picture. The van suffered over £10,000 in damage, although the victim did not take part in the prosecution.
The court heard Dickinson, 47, of Third Row, Linton, Northumberland, who admitted arson, has 47 convictions, including for other revenge-motivated criminal damage and was licensed, having recently been released from prison for damaging three vehicles in this grudge. He had also been sentenced to 120 months in prison for firearms offences.
Judge Julie Clemitson found he was a dangerous offender and a pre-sentence report said he posed a “risk to life”. When arrested, he told police he “wanted to get a life sentence and kill someone.” He was jailed for two years with an extended license term for another five years.
The court heard the former soldier suffered from PTSD and had previously been attacked by a police dog. Shaun Routledge, defending, said: “It’s pretty obvious from the CCTV that he was going to get caught. He’s extremely ashamed and embarrassed by it.
“It was a revenge attack with accelerator but looking at the footage there is something pathetic about it, as dangerous as it is.”
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