A Dundee woman who sparked a massive emergency service response when she set a caravan alight by starting a barbecue inside has been re-sentenced to imprisonment.
Katrina Stewart, 52, was previously placed under supervision for two years and instructed to complete 166 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to imprisonment.
However, when she returned to the dock for a review of her community sentence, an unimpressed sheriff revoked the order and jailed Stewart instead.
In reference to the order imposed in October 2023, Sheriff George Way said: “That has failed.”
Sheriff Way pointed out Stewart has 40 previous convictions.
He labelled the offence an “extremely dangerous crime” and highlighted his concerns with Stewart sofa-surfing.
“There needs to be an intervention here,” he said.
The sheriff revoked Stewart’s community payback order and jailed her for nine months.
He also imposed a four-month consecutive sentence in relation to a shoplifting offence.
Caravan blaze
Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair previously told Dundee Sheriff Court Stewart would routinely stay with the caravan’s owner – a man in his 70s, who lived on Dunmore Street.
While he did not trust her enough to leave her alone in his house, he would allow her use of the caravan.
On January 28, Stewart was given access to the caravan and the owner was asleep in his house when an SGN (Scottish Gas Networks) employee and patrolling police were also drawn to the plumes of smoke.
Firefighters were called and the gas was shut off.
The fire was considered high risk due to hoarded items, including gas canisters.
Stewart had “extensive blackening to her face and hands”.
She pled guilty to culpably and recklessly setting fire to a disposable barbecue within the caravan.
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