Family friend stole car and burnt it out
A Telford man who stole a car from a family who had treated him like their own son and then set it on fire has been jailed for more than two years.
Darren Page, 21, of Buxton Close, Dawley, admitted burgling the home of the Farnham family in Wellington on the night of October 13 last year and stealing car keys. He admitted being involved in the theft of the Vauxhall Vectra car.
He also admitted two counts of arson in that he set fire to the car and also caused damage to a nearby property when the fire spread.
He was given a total of two years and four months in jail for the offences when he was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.
Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said Page knew the Farnham family very well and had been in their house many times.
He said Page had gone into the house at night and taken the car keys from the kitchen.
The court heard he and another person had travelled in the car to Ironbridge where it was set alight.
Mr Beardwell said the fire was so fierce that it spread to a nearby property, an empty holiday home.
The property's windows were cracked and the guttering melted because of the heat from the fire and the owner was left with a £3,400 repair bill, the court was told.
Mr Beardwell said Page moved a barbecue gas canister away from the flames and called the emergency services for help.
The court was told the Farnham family had felt betrayed by Page's actions because they had treated him like one of the family.
Mr Mike Sherwood-Smith, for Page, said his client had been drinking heavily and was genuinely remorseful about the breach of trust suffered by the family.
He said Page was not the driver and had not meant to cause damage to the holiday home.
