A man and woman have admitted starting a fire at a block of flats in Lochgelly, which endangered the lives of residents and led to the building’s destruction.
Fire crews battled the massive inferno at the Fife town’s Francis Street in October 2023.
All eight residents from the three-storey block were evacuated after a hero neighbour banged on their doors after spotting the blaze on the top floor.
The wrecked building was deemed so unsafe it was later torn down by Fife Council.
Jamie Morrison, 34, and Chloe Arnott, 31, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday and admitted a charge of wilful fireraising to the danger of residents’ lives.
They had originally been charged with attempted murder.
The court heard the pair, from Glenrothes, started the fire in the top floor flat of Arnott’s former partner Kevin Storrar.
They set fire to a piece of paper, before leaving the block without alerting the residents.
Blaze started with cigarette lighter
Morrison has an extensive criminal record with 36 convictions since 2007.
He was jailed at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in 2018 for attacking his then partner with a vodka bottle.
He also has previous for fire-raising, the high court heard.
Arnott, listed as a prisoner in Polmont, has less of a record with convictions for dishonesty, malicious damage and assault.
Prosecutor Brian Gill KC confirmed they were in a relationship at the time of the fire.
Arnott had been living with her former partner Mr Storrar in his top floor flat in Francis Street – number 21 – until the couple split in 2023.
Morrison and Arnott spent the afternoon of October 23 that year drinking alcohol at a friend’s home in Lochgelly.
At about 6.20pm, they were spotted by a resident on the landing outside Mr Storrar’s flat.
Later, they were seen inside the flat, seemingly gathering together piles of clothing.
While inside, they lit a piece of paper using a cigarette lighter.
The pair then left without alerting any of the other residents and closed the door on their way out.
Residents alerted by hero neighbour
A neighbour was alerted by a loud crackling noise coming from next door, Mr Gill said.
“He touched the wall of his living room which adjoined the flat.
“It was very hot. He realised there was a fire.
“He then ran out of his flat in a panic.”
Mr Gill said the man went into the hallway and could see a fiery orange glow from behind the door of number 21.
The glass on the door was about to shatter, said Mr Gill.
“The neighbour ran downstairs and knocked on the doors of all the flats on the way, to tell them to get out.”
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene.
Multiple crews used height appliances to reach the flames on the top floor.
Mr Gill said it took “many hours” to bring the blaze under control.
“They worked through the night,” he said.
All eight people who were in the building at the time escaped unharmed.
When the flats were eventually demolished, many of their abandoned possessions and furniture could be seen inside.
Confession
Arnott and Morrison returned to their friend’s flat.
During the evening, Morrison confessed to lighting the paper but said he did not think the fire would engulf the building.
The pair were later arrested but refused to be interviewed.
They also refused to have their hands check for traces of accelerants.
In November, firefighters returned to the block to try and establish a cause.
However, the building was still too dangerous to enter so they had to rely on drone footage to identify a possible source.
They established that the blaze was started in flat number 21 on the upper level.
Mr Gill told the court the cost for Fife Council to demolish the building was just under £79,000.
There were further indirect costs for the local authority as a result of road closures and emergency gas work.
He said it will cost a further £2.1 million to rebuild the block.
Judge Fiona Tait deferred sentence until August 28 for background reports.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
