Arsonist threatened to stab and set three people alight
AMAN who deliberately started an early-hours fire in a city-centre building later threatened to stab and set fire to his partner, her daughter and a lodger.
Sam Price made the comments about the people he was living with while in a meeting with probation officers in January, after the deliberate fire in Newport last August.
Yesterday, Price and Justin Lewis, both 23, were jailed at Newport Crown Court for their parts in starting the fire in Upper Dock Street.
The pair appeared in court for sentencing for a joint charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
In addition to the Upper Dock Street blaze, Price, of Maendy Way, Cwmbran, appeared in court to be sentenced for another count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, which related to a separate fire at 170 Commercial Street which happened on September 5, 2017 – a few days after the Upper Dock Street fire.
Price was also charged with three counts of making threats to kill his girlfriend at the time, her 17-year-old daughter and a lodger at their house on January 22 this year. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on April 23, 2018.
Lewis, of Albert Street, Newport, was found guilty of a single arson charge following a two-day trial on June 29 in relation to the Upper Dock Street fire.
The court heard they broke into the building in the early hours of August 24, 2017, and returned to the building shortly afterwards and started a fire in the floors above a Lifestyle Express store and Vapour Zest shop.
In relation to the Upper Dock Street fire, prosecutor David Pugh told the court that both men were captured entering the property via a broken roller-shutter side entrance in Skinner Street at 1.46am.
They emerged three minutes later and walked around Newport city centre before returning to the door that led to the first and second floors.
Mr Pugh said they returned at 2.16am and started a fire.
Mr Pugh told the court emergency services arrived at a “well-developed fire”.
Mr Pugh said the owner of the Lifestyle Express store had recorded losses of more than £320,000 in potential repair costs, loss of revenue and damage to stock.
While figures for financial damages to the building’s owners Noor Estates, the Vape Express shop and the neighbouring Windsor Castle pub were not given in court, Mr Pugh said “they are thought to be very significant”.
Several months after the fires, on January 22 this year, Mr Pugh said Price attended a meeting with his probation officers where he described a disagreement with his then partner, her 17-year-old daughter and a lodger.
“The defendant said, ‘I would stab all three of them and set them alight’,” Mr Pugh said. “He said that calmly, as if he meant it.”
Mr Pugh said he reiterated his threats to probation officers and in police interview.
Summing up, Judge Daniel Williams said: “You clearly were, the two of you together, intending on bringing damage to that building.”
Price was sentenced to eight years in prison for each of his two counts of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered, and was sentenced to two years for the three counts of making threats to kill. All sentences are to run concurrently, and was jailed for a total of eight years.
He will also serve four years on licence following his release.
Lewis was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for a single count of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.