A firebug who forced Perth residents to flee in terror from their smoke filled homes has been spared jail.
Bryan Soutar set fire to his own furniture at two city centre tenements, causing more than £73,000 of damage to both buildings.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the incidents could have led to tragedy, were it not for the swift action of local fire crews.
Soutar pled guilty to starting fires in his assisted living flat on Market Street in May 2019 and at the St Johnstoun’s Buildings, Charles Street, in November that year.
Returning to the dock for sentencing, the 55-year-old was told the offences would ordinarily attract jail terms.
Can’t pay towards ‘extremely high’ costs
Solicitor Lysney Barber, defending, told the court: “Notwithstanding what happens to him today, Mr Soutar’s tenancy is rather surprisingly still available to him.
“That’s quite unusual, given the background here and the expense caused to the council.”
She added: “Mr Soutar completely and utterly understands the implications of how he reacted.
“He knows that things could have been very different if they hadn’t been dealt with so quickly by the emergency services.”
Ms Barber said her client was not able to pay back the “extremely high” cost of repairs.
“It is extremely fortunate that matters did not escalate to a loss of life,” she said.
“Custody may be inevitable, but I would ask the court to step back from that with a significant period of supervision.”
Custody threshold met
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Soutar: “It would appear that you have taken full responsibility for your actions.
“You recognise the dreadful consequences that your actions could have had, had the emergency services not responded so quickly.”
She noted Soutar had been at his new home in Perth for 18 months without incident.
“These offences meet the threshold of a custodial sentence,” the sheriff said.
“However, in the particular circumstances of this case I am prepared to consider a community payback order as a direct alternative to custody.”
Soutar was placed on supervision for 18 months.
Smoke filled homes
Jurors heard how he set fire to his sofa in his ground floor flat on Market Street on May 18 2019.
Three fire crews raced to the four-storey block just before 7.30am.
The eight flats operated by charity Blackwood Homes and Care – providing accommodation for people with disabilities and other needs – were evacuated.
Firefighters used breathing apparatus and hose reel jets to bring the blaze under control.
Six months later, Soutar – who uses a mobility scooter and wheelchair to get around – set alight a mattress at his new flat in the fourt-storey St Johnstoun’s Buildings.
Neighbours said they ran from their homes when they began filling with smoke on November 22.
One resident said they had heard Soutar moving around in his ground floor flat shortly before the alarms went off.
Retired firefighter Martin White told the trial he was among the first on the scene at the Charles Street incident.
He said he saw no flames but could see smoke coming from a ground floor property.
“Someone from the block met us and directed us to where the smoke was coming from,” he said.
No one was inside the bedsit-style flat but there was a badly charred mattress on the floor.
It appeared to have been removed from its steel bedframe, which was in the corner of the room.
In both incidents, Soutar was long gone by the time fire crews arrived on the scene.
He was originally charged with endangering residents by wilful fireraising.
But midway through his trial, he pled guilty to alternative charges of culpably and recklessly starting fires and causing extensive damage to both properties.
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