Intoxicated man almost burned down shed in stranger’s garden

A Dunfermline man went into a stranger’s garden and tried to burn down a shed.

Richard Brown was heavily intoxicated after consuming alcohol and drugs when he committed the offence.

The fire brigade was called out by neighbours as Brown was wrestled to the ground by the homeowner.

Brown, 41, of Rose Street, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted setting fire to bags and pallets next to a shed at an address in Victoria Street, Dunfermline, on October 22, and that this led to the fire taking hold and damaging the shed.

He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, acting aggressively and threatening violence.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told the court a woman inside the property had looked out of her bedroom window at around 6.30pm.

“She saw a male lighting fires at a shed in the garden,” he said.

The woman told her partner who ran outside, grabbed Brown and wrestled him to the ground.

By this time the shed was alight. Neighbours called the fire brigade before throwing buckets of water over it.

When police arrived they found Brown still being restrained.

When he was detained, Brown claimed he had been assaulted and said if they did not act he would “come back and do something about it”.

Defence solicitor Elaine Buist said her client suffered from severe depression and had a drink problem.

Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a community payback order with two years of supervision.