Man with religion ‘issues’ set doors of Sikh temple on fire

A man who has “issues” with religion has admitted setting fire to the doors of a Sikh temple and a church.

Paul Johnson used petrol to ignite the doors of Edinburgh’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Leith Methodist Church this summer because he wanted to make a “political statement”.

He told police he wanted to watch the premises burn down.

Johnson, 49, admitted two charges of wilful fireraising on 28 August, aggravated by religious prejudice, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday. He will be sentenced next month.

The court heard the attack on the Sikh temple, to the danger of life of a family inside, was unplanned and was only carried out when unemployed Johnson came across the building.

The court heard how, on the evening of 27 August, Johnson bought a container and, later, fuel worth £3.51 from a local petrol station.

Shortly before 5am on 28 August, a man heading to the temple to pray spotted that fire had taken hold on one side of one of the doors and immediately raised the alarm with a man sleeping inside in the family quarters.

The fire service was then alerted and used two engines, two high reach vehicles and 11 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Around a couple of hours later, the caretaker at Leith Methodist Church noticed a smell of petrol and burning and cleaned up the area around the front door after realising there was no fire damage of note. He later contacted police after hearing about the incident at the temple.

CCTV footage from the area around the church between 12:03am and 12:13am showed Johnson approaching the church door, with a flash of light then visible.

Footage from the temple from 12:38am to 1:07am revealed him approaching the door with a jerry can and lighting a piece of paper. He returned on two further occasions during that time to light more paper and throw it towards the door before running away.

Police arrested Johnson in Leith in the early hours of 30 August. Asked about his involvement in the two fires, he told officers: “I did it.”

Advocate depute Alan Cameron said: “Asked whether this was religiously motivated he stated that he has no issue with any particular religion but his issues are with religion and God in general.”

0 The doors of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara were damaged