Top lawyer torches his own home ... in bid to stop it being repossessed
HE was a high-flying local authority lawyer prepared to fight even the most prominent legal battles in court. But when Donald Clayson fell on hard financial times, he resorted to desperate measures to prevent his home from being repossessed.
And yesterday the 46-year-old was again in court – this time in the dock for wilfully
‘Suffering financial difficulties’
setting fire to the property in an effort to delay its resale by his mortgage lender.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard how Clayson poured petrol onto a pile of clothing and bedding at the house in up-market Gargunnock, Stirlingshire.
The blaze, on October 22 last year, took hold but was contained to one room.
Depute fiscal Les Brown said: ‘There is a background to the matter: the accused and his family have been suffering financial difficulties for a few years.
‘His wife could no longer work so he was responsible for bringing money into the household.
‘Clayson says the reason he lit the fire was to delay the sale of the property.’
The l awyer was working f or Stirling Council’s legal services department at the time of the incident.
During his career at the local authority, he had been involved in a series of high-profile cases, including a 2008 court battle with waste management magnate Euan Snowie over the businessman’s attempts to restrict the public’s right of access on his land.
He also represented the former Chief Constable of Central Scotland in cases involving paedophiles’ attempts to use human rights laws to dodge sexual offences prevention orders.
Clayson, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, pleaded guilty on indictment to a single charge of causing damage by wilful fire-raising.
The lawyer had lived at the property with his wife Zoe and their three children,
His defence counsel, Ken Dalling, told the court: ‘Mr Clayson is finding it hard to believe how stupid he has been. What is certain is that he was in dire financial difficulty and had not told his wife that the house had been repossessed.
‘He has now lost his wife, his kids, his house and his job. All he wanted was his house back. There was no question of any booby traps or anything like that.’
Sheriff William Gallacher sentenced Clayson to 120 hours of unpaid community work and imposed a one-year supervision order.
The sheriff said: ‘I believe it was an act of desperation.’
It is understood that Clayson, a solicitor for 20 years, has surrendered his practising certificate.