MAN SET HOME ON FIRE AFTER GLOVE ROW

What you did could have caused the death of three people

A THUG who torched the family home of an ex-friend amid a row over boxing gloves has been jailed for eight years.

Stephen Robertson started the blaze which a judge said could have killed Brian Hendry, 48, along with his wife Nicola, 48, and 21-year-old son Ethan.

CCTV footage captured the fire ripping through the property in Renfrew, Renfrewshire last May 23 as the family slept.

Heavily-tattooed Robertson, 50, was yesterday sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had pleaded guilty in February to a charge of attempted murder by wilful fire-raising.

Lady Stacey told Robertson: “This is an extremely serious matter. What you did could have caused the death of three people.

“It is very fortunate that it did not.

“You will be under supervision for a period after your release.

“I am not satisfied you will not present a danger to the public even after you come out of prison.”

Robertson will be monitored for three years on being freed.

The earlier hearing was told how Robertson’s friendship with the Hendrys deteriorated in September 2020 “due to an argument over borrowed property”.

The family were asleep on the night of the incident when Robertson turned up.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: “Robertson poured petrol onto the front door of the property, ignited it, causing a fire to take hold then ran off.”

Nicola was suddenly awoken at 3am as a smoke alarm sounded and yelled to her husband: “Brian, the house is on fire.”

He rushed to try and put out the blaze, but was unsuccessful as flames spread quickly.

However, Brian was able to open the front door and get his family to safety.

M r Farrell added: “From the roadside, all three saw the fire to be burning the porch area and moving up the side of the house as it grew rapidly.”

The house was wrecked by the inferno leaving a £140,000 repair bill.

Police later traced Robertson to a friend’s home and he was arrested.

Louise Arrol, defending, told the court: “He was a friend of Mr Hendry. There was quite a significant fall-out.

“It has been described in a (pre-sentencing) report as a ‘feud’.

“Whatever the background there is no explanation for this conduct.”

Following the hearing in February, Brian told how he had borrowed boxing gloves from Robertson to be used during lockdown with gyms being closed.

The dad said they were later returned, but Robertson believed he should have been paid £25 for them.

Recalling that night, Brian went on: “As soon as I got in the hall, I could smell petrol and I knew it was on my door – I knew it was him – I didn’t have a problem with anybody else.

“It just came out of the boxing glove situation.

“It was a harrowing experience for me when I first saw the house was on fire my first thoughts were panic.

“He had been texting me he was going to set my house on fire and murder me.

“Three weeks later he set the house on fire.”