Arsonist jailed

A Peterborough man will spend another eight months in jail for setting a fire to a King Street home.

On Feb. 23, shortly before midnight, city police were called to a King Street residence to assist with the city fire department with a structure fire that was deemed to be suspicious.

Liam Whiteside was identified as the suspected and the 24-year-old turned himself into police three days later. He was charged with arson-disregard for human life and fail to comply with a probation. Whiteside pleaded guilty to both charges.

On Aug. 16, Justice Jennifer Broderick sentenced him to 496 days behind bars for the crime. Whiteside spent 171 days in presentence custody and was credited with 256 days of time served, leaving him with 240 more days to serve at the Central East Correctional Centre.

On the same day, Whiteside also pleaded guilty charges of mischief under $5,000, and threaten death/bodily harm which were additional charges laid in connection to the fire.

For those crimes, he received a 30 day sentence to be served concurrently with the 240 days remaining on the arson charge.