Former fireman faces jail for arson

Former retained firefighter Richard John Naughton admitted two charges of arson in November, when the fire station on the Shropshire border was under threat of closure.

The 33-year-old intentionally set fire to recycling skips in Knighton to increase the number of call-outs and make the station appear to be more viable.

Naughton, a firefighter for seven years, has now been dismissed by the service.

He admitted committing arson by damaging skips belonging to Knighton Recycling Centre on November 11 and 18, when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court on Wednesday. He will be sentenced next week.

Prosecuting, Stephen Davies said that on November 11, Glyn Griffiths and his wife were at the recycling centre at 8pm when Mr Griffiths saw one of the skips was on fire. He told his wife to call the fire service. A short time after he saw Naughton driving a Discovery vehicle close by and they had a conversation about the fire service being called before Mr Griffiths drove off.

There was a further fire in a plastics skip on November 18 in an area covered by CCTV.

PC Fraser Scott was given the tape by Powys County Council and, rewinding to the date of the first incident, he could see Naughton driving up to the skips and depositing something in the area. Shortly after, a fire was seen to be coming from the skip.

In the second incident, Naughton was seen carrying card or paper and putting it into the plastics skip, before appearing to light something to get the fire going and pushing it into the skip.

The court was told the fires had caused £330 damage but the skips were still operable and would be repaired.

Defending, Colonel Tim Van Rees, said: "This is, to say the least of it, something of a tragic case. He has no previous convictions of any sort and he is a leading member of the community.

"He has served impeccably for seven years as a retained firefighter, in connection with which he received the Queen's Jubilee Medal.

"He has put himself forward many times to help the community, often putting his own safety in jeopardy.

"What motivated him on this occasion was that Knighton fire station was threatened with closure – they were below the number of call-outs required to make it viable.

"After acting on the spur of the moment he started a very small fire in this skip to secure the turnout of the fire service so they could reach that level of viability."

Colonel Van Rees said Naughton's actions had been very foolish but they had been taken with the best of intentions.

He said Naughton, of Rosehill, Knucklas Road, has now been dismissed from the fire service and there was no prospect of him being re-employed.

"He very much regrets that he acted as he did, but your worships will be aware of what pressure there is in local communities when one of the more vital amenities is threatened, and when that happened he acted for the community without thinking the matter through," he said.

Chairman of the magistrates, Steve Vipond, warned Naughton he could face anything from a medium level community order to 12 weeks in custody when he is sentenced on Thursday, July 17.

The case was adjourned until that date and the magistrates extended Naughton's unconditional bail was extended.