Fireraiser hoped he’d get arrested

A man who has “issues” with religion has admitted setting fire to the doors of a Sikh temple and a church.

Paul Johnson used petrol to ignite the doors of Edinburgh’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Leith Methodist Church because he wanted to make a “political statement”.

He told police he wanted to watch the premises burn down and hoped to be arrested.

Johnson, 49, admitted two charges of willful fireraising, aggravated by religious prejudice, on August 28 when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He will be sentenced on November 15.

The court heard the attack on the temple, to the danger of life of a family inside, was unplanned and was only carried out when unemployed Johnson came across the building.

The court heard how, on the evening of August 27, Johnson bought a container and, later, fuel worth £3.51 from a petrol station. Shortly before 5am on August 28, a man heading to the temple to pray spotted fire had taken hold and raised the alarm.

A couple of hours later, the caretaker at Leith Methodist Church noticed a smell of petrol and burning and cleaned up the area around the door after realising there was no fire damage of note.

He later contacted police after hearing about the incident at the temple.

CCTV footage from the church between 12.03am and 12.13am showed Johnson approaching the church door, with a flash of light then visible.

Police arrested Johnson after spotting him in Leith in the early hours of August 30. Asked about his involvement in the fires, he immediately told officers: “I did it.”

Advocate depute Alan Cameron told the court: “The accused was asked as to his motivation for the fires and stated he was looking to make a political statement.”