Drunken man burnt house down during crisis
HE’D HAD A LITRE OF VODKA
A DRUNKEN man destroyed his home by torching the property during a mental health crisis, a court heard.
Dane Greening, 35, set his Norton home on fire late in the evening, on January 5, after saying “let’s see how long a house fire takes to kill”.
He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday via videolink from Durham Prison after pleading guilty to arson with reckless endangerment of life.
Prosecutor Shaun Dodds said Cleveland Police were tipped off by an anonymous caller and found the defendant inside his Chadburn Road home naked from the waist down as smoke billowed out the home.
The caller told police he had threatened to take his own life prior to the incident.
Mr Dodds said: “Officers saw a fire inside the premises so they removed him from the property as clouds of smoke billowed out the hallway. He was attempting to go back inside to get his dogs.
“He was arrested and in passing comments said he wouldn’t start a fire if his dogs were inside and claimed his partner started the fire.”
Mr Dodds said his next door neighbour was awoken by officers and made to vacate her property but said she was worried about what would have happened if the police hadn’t showed up.
An examination of the scene found the blaze had been started by a naked flame which was used to ignite a flammable liquid.
There was significant smoke and fire damage in the house but no people or animals were harmed. It was also noted his partner was not in the home at the time.
The court heard prior to the offence Greening had drank a litre of vodka and was suffering with his mental health.
Thomas Bennett, defending, said: “It is clear the defendant was extremely unwell at the time. He got to a point where he didn’t want to live anymore.
“It is pleasing to hear whilst the defendant has been in custody he has taken steps to address his mental health.
“He has engaged with the prison.” Mr Dodds also said he is remorseful for the distress he has caused his family, friends and neighbour next door.
Greening said he is ‘horrified’ to hear how his neighbour felt at the time.
The defendant, now of Dent Drive, Eastmoor, Wakefield, has no previous convictions and was handed a 32-month prison sentence and made to pay a victim surcharge.