Three men who started fires at two addresses in Fife, forcing firefighters to carry out a rescue, were collectively jailed for more than 30 years.
Barry Baxter and Angus Guthrie, both 49, and 45-year-old Stuart Young were involved in setting fire to a flat and a house at Rosyth in the early hours of the morning on July 25 2023 at Duffy Place and Queensferry Road.
Judge Lady Ross told the trio at the High Court in Edinburgh: “The wilful fireraising charges are serious.
“You were all involved in a plan to set fire to two properties in Rosyth.
“When you set fire to 17 Duffy Place you put at risk the life of a person in a neighbouring property.”
The judge said the victim was faced with the dangers of smoke inhalation and had to be brought to safety by fire service officers.
She said it was not exactly clear why they did this.
Young, a prisoner at Perth, Baxter, formerly of Marmion Road, Lochore, and Guthrie, of Concorde Way, Inverkeithing, were convicted of the arson attacks following an earlier trial.
Baxter and Guthrie were also found guilty of being concerned in the supply of heroin at Old Lane, Oakley, between March and July in 2023 and Baxter was involved in the supply of amphetamine on July 27 2023 at Duffy Place, Rosyth.
Sentencing
Lady Ross jailed Young for eight years and pointed out he had an extensive criminal record and was previously imprisoned for assault and robbery.
Baxter was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment after the judge said he also had a bad record, featuring crimes of dishonesty, violence and drug trafficking.
The judge jailed Guthrie for 11-and-a-half years and said his criminal record was not as extensive as those of his co-accused but did include a conviction for wilful fireraising.
Drew Mackenzie, for Young, said his background of offending was set against a history of drug involvement but he now appeared to recognise the impact of drug abuse on his behaviour.
Jonathan Crowe, defence counsel for Baxter, said the benefit claimant suffered from a number of medical conditions and was previously addicted to heroin but has been on methadone for more than a year.
Solicitor advocate James Keegan KC, for Guthrie, said: “No reason was advanced by him for being involved in fireraising.”
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