Shrewsbury nightclub arsonist spared jail

Benjamin Wintle lit the nozzle of a gas canister outside Shrewsbury's Buttermarket nightclub in the early hours of the morning while nearly 40 staff were still inside, which in turn set fire to a rear door at the venue.

But Judge Jim Tindal said he accepted Wintle did not intend to put lives in danger and that it was a case "simple arson", giving Wintle a sentence of eight months suspended for two years.

He said at first glance the police had suspected the act was a serious attempt to burn the place down, but it became clear after watching the CCTV that it was the thoughtless actions of a "drunken idiot".

He said: "This was purely and simply you trying to set some kind of fire out of petulance, like a teenager would do.

"The possibility someone would be hurt did not even enter into your head."

Harpreet Sandhu, prosecuting, said that Wintle, 21, of Sundorne Avenue in Shrewsbury, had been ejected from the Buttermarket at about 3am on August 14. He had drunk eight pints before going to the club and four to six vodka and cokes and "several sambucas" while inside.

Once thrown out he went to McDonalds restaurant on Pride Hill, then returned to the club and went tot the toilet around the back.

While there he noticed gas cannisters and checked to see if they were empty before opening the valve on one and lighting it with a cigarette lighter.

"Fortuitously the gas canister had insufficient fuel in it to combust," he said, but the fire did spread to the door by the fire escape, where it was discovered by a member of staff who then evacuated the 38 staff inside.

He said Wintle was a man of good character and the offence appeared to be an isolated incident.

Brendan Reedy, defending, said in fact the gas cylinders are designed to be safe so very unlikely to go up.

He said the doors were scorched and a light above warped but did not melt, but that was the extent of the damage.

Wintle immediately admitted what he had done to police, he said, and pleaded guilty to simple arson.

Wintle was also told to do 200 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement, as well as pay £500 compensation to the nightclub, £420 cost and an £80 victim surcharge.