Troubled veteran torched house

A troubled and drunken army veteran who used petrol to cause a fire bomb which wrecked the council house where he lived has been jailed.

Alan Lloyd Pritchard, 36, who served in the Kosovo War, pleaded guilty to reckless arson at a house in Hendrewen Road, Bangor, where he lived with his partner. He was sent to prison for three years and four months.

Judge Niclas Parry told him at Caernarfon crown court he had endangered the lives of a family in the next-door semi-detached house. They had to be evacuated with their four-month-old baby and put up in a hotel.

He had also caused a real risk to the lives of firefighters and police officers.

Elen Owen, prosecuting, said police had arrived at the house at 7am one day last February and had found Pritchard lying in the hallway as if he had fallen when trying to reach an electricity meter.

He was clearly drunk, and carried a petrol can from the direction of the utility room, with liquid pouring from it.

A police officer shouted a warning, then there was an orange glow and Pritchard staggered out, flames coming from his trousers. His legs were burned badly and he went to hospital, later being transferred to Whiston burns unit on Merseyside.

Damage of £40,000 was caused to the house, and fire investigators confirmed an accelerant had been used, with the next-door house sustaining smoke damage.

Defence barrister Simon Rogers said a psychiatric report referred to a troubled background from his teenage years and to him having jumped from a bridge.

Mr Rogers said: “He has no memory of what he did and he’s deeply sorry. The crux of his difficulties relate to misuse of alco- hol and drugs.”

Relatives spoke about him being caring and compassionate. He was anxious to address his alcohol misuse, including by obtaining help available for exservicemen, and wished to be a positive influence in the lives of his two young children, said Mr Rogers.

Passing sentence, Judge Parry said the use of accelerants “effec- tively caused a fire bomb” with extensive damage amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.

The judge accepted that Pritchard was remorseful and his actions were not motivated by malice or revenge. A psychiatric report stated he had issues which were induced by alcohol.

Relatives attended the hearing to support Pritchard, who they said afterwards had endured tragedy.

An aunt said: “He was three years in the Royal Artillery and served in Kosovo where he saw a friend shot dead.

“It definitely affected him. Alan is really a good man, but he needs help.

“He has been in touch with an ex-army organisation and we can only hope that he gets some help in prison.”