Man jailed for blowing up f lat with drugs lab

A MAN who caused a massive explosion after transforming his girlfriend’s flat into a drugs lab has been jailed for more than six years.

Scott Peden’s plan to make a super-strength form of cannabis called ‘shatter’ ended in catastrophe after he wrecked the tenement building, causing £1million worth of damage.

Eight neighbours required hospital treatment after being rescued from the inferno, with medics initially fearing two would not survive.

It took firefighters two hours to contain the fire in Glasgow’s Tollcross.

Peden sparked the chaos just two weeks after being given bail to await trial for a cannabis offence.

The 30-year-old returned to the dock after earlier pleading guilty to culpable and reckless conduct and a charge of producing a controlled drug.

Jailing Peden for six years and four months yesterday, Lord Armstrong said he had shown ‘gross irresponsibility’ and his actions had ‘traumatic and devastating consequences’.

Peden looked ashen-faced as he was led handcuffed to the cells.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how he set-up a sophisticated ‘shatter lab’ at the ground-floor flat.

Prosecutor Iain McSporran said this involved using ‘laboratory-grade equipment’ such as tubes, butane gas and a specialist ‘vacuum oven’.

Peden was attempting to produce shatter – the street name for butane hash oil, which is a concentrated form of cannabis.

On March 21, a dangerous gas released during the drug-making ignited, triggering a huge explosion. Windows and the front door were instantly blown off due to the power of the blast. As the fire quickly spread, Peden and two friends got out and fled. Neighbours fearing for their lives also tried to escape.

Ewa Uscitowicz and Robert Andrezjewski were knocked unconscious as thick smoke engulfed the building and it was feared they might die.

Alexander Elder suffered multiple broken bones after falling from his second-floor window in a bid to escape. Eight residents needed hospital treatment for burns, smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. A cat and a dog were also killed.

Peden, who suffered minor burns, could not be traced and did not hand himself in until ten days later.

He admitted being in the kitchen at the time of the blast, but said it was an ‘accident’ and that his girlfriend had not been home for two months.

Describing Peden’s actions, Mr McSporran told the court: ‘This case illustrates the manifest danger created by such operations.’

The hearing was told the bill for the damage could exceed £1million including rehousing costs.

Tony Graham, defending, said Peden realised what happened had a ‘significant impact’ on his neighbours.