The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Man torched own flat and lied to officers
Fire: Behaviour wasted police time
A Kinlochleven man torched his own flat and then posted social media messages criticising police for their efforts to find the culprit.
While Allan Simpson, 20, was waiting to be sentenced, he falsely reported to police an arms deal was about to take place in Fort William, involving a “Dimitri”.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, Simpson was sent to detention for 18 months after admitting charges of wilful fire-raising and wasting police time.
Sentence had been deferred by Sheriff Margaret Neilson for a background report.
At a hearing in July, she was told that Simpson, now of Kilmallie Road, Caol, set fire to several items in his flat in Park Road on November 10 last year.
The court heard he told police he had received a note threatening to set his home alight. It was purported to say: “You’re getting it for what you’ve done.”
He told police he had been out for a walk and returned to find the flat in flames. Simpson then made a 999 call.
“Hedidn’tintend toharmothers, thoughhehadno regardforsafety”
But despite his Facebook messages to friends telling them of the “note” and criticising the police, detectives were checking his alibi and the route he had claimed to take.
Checking CCTV, officers established Simpson had been lying to them.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court Simpson had set fire to a fleece and furniture in his living room, a curtain, a duvet and a mattress in the two bedrooms.
Sheriff Neilson was told that Simpson had sent a text message to himself from his father’s mobile phone which he said was from ‘Dimitri’, who was about to carry out an arms deal in the Lochaber town.
But when officers viewed the message, they were suspicious of it and Simpson eventually admitted he was not telling the truth.
Defence solicitor Mike Chapman said: “This is a troubled and troubling young man who has behavioural difficulties.
“He did not act with any intent to harm others, albeit his actions had no regard for their safety.”