Jury is told gatecrasher petrol-bombed home
A man who was twice thrown out of a barbecue at Shropshire home threw a petrol bomb at the front window while the occupants were inside, a court has been told.
The petrol bomb bounced off the wall of the flat in Dawley, Telford, and burnt itself out on the grass, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.
Tyrone Payne, of Chapel Street, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, denies a charge of arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Mr Ian Ball, prosecuting, told a jury yesterday that 25-year-old Payne had gatecrashed a barbecue at the home of Stephen Levine in Portley Road, Dawley, on October 1, 2011.
He was asked to leave when he became loud and unruly but returned later, saying he was looking for his phone.
Mr Ball said there was an altercation and again Payne was asked to leave.
He said: "Mr Levine and his girlfriend went to bed and another man staying in the flat, Christopher Williams, was watching a DVD at about 11pm when there was a noise and a yellow glow outside.
"Mr Williams looked through his window and saw smashed glass and a fire burning.
"He saw Payne about 15 feet away. He went out and gave chase but Payne ran into the darkness."
Mr Williams told the court: "I heard a smash and saw a ball of light. I went to the window and I saw glass on the ground and the remains of a fire burning on the grass."
Mr Ball told the jury that the front of the flat had been hit by a bottle containing an accelerant.
He said: "Luckily the bottle had not gone through a window and into the flat but had bounced off and ended up on the ground where it burnt itself out."
When questioned by police, Payne said that when he returned to the barbecue he was punched in the eye, the court heard.
He left and went to his grandmother's house and then went to buy a bag of chips.
He denied making any form of petrol bomb.
The trial continues.
