Arsonist who destroyed his home ‘nearly threw up at sight of blaze’
AN arsonist who admitted starting a fire which destroyed his home as part of an insurance scam had told police he ‘nearly threw up’ when he saw the blaze, a court heard.
Samuel Todd had initially told the police he had been staying at friend Ryan Ibbitson’s house in Clitheroe when the fire broke out on Cumberland Avenue in Clayton-leMoors and claimed that he didn’t know anything about it until he was contacted by a friend and a neighbour, the jury at a was told.
Todd, 27, of Spencer Street, Accrington, has pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to conspiracy to commit arson following a huge blaze at the terraced house in the early hours of April 15, 2014.
He has also admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation but denies being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
But the jury was told that when Todd was interviewed by police on the night of the incident he had denied being involved and claimed to have been staying at Mr Ibbitson’s home with his partner and two children.
Prosecutor Judith McCullough read out a transcript of Todd’s interview by police officers following the blaze.
According to prosecutors, Todd told police: “I was woken up by my mobile ringing off one of my friends and one of my neighbours.
“The neighbour rang twice. My friend rang about eight times. Eventually the phone woke me up so I answered it and he told me I need to get out of the house. He didn’t say why.
“I ran upstairs to get Ryan out of bed and as I was coming back downstairs again it was my neighbour so she tells me what happens and I need to get over.
“You could see all the smoke coming from the house. We go up Warwick Avenue and stop at the top. We couldn’t get any further round because of the fire engines. I didn’t know what to do.”
Ms McCullough said Todd told police that he walked to a neighbour’s house and ‘clasped [his] eyes on the front of it’.
The court was told, he told officers: “My legs just like, kinda went from under me. One of my neighbours from down the road got hold of me and kept me up. I kept nearly throwing up. [The neighbour] gave me a little bucket and towel. I love that place. It’s actually a good street to live on. Everyone is nice enough.”
Mr Ibbitson, 23, now of Selby Close, Baxenden, denies conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
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