Fisherman’s ‘revenge’ lands him in prison

A FISHERMAN with a grudge caused mayhem in a Devon village by throwing bar stools in the pub and setting fire to storage units causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Dean Heron thought he was owed money for work and decided to take out his revenge on his old employer.

But he bungled his mission by setting fire to the wrong units. The blaze caused extensive damage and 20 firefighters spent more than three hours putting out the flames in the East Devon village of Beer.

The full cost of the damage ran into tens of thousands of pounds, Exeter Crown Court was told. Several locals have been left out of pocket having lost equipment and stock they stored in the units.

The 34-year-old was jailed for three years after admitting arson, three assaults and affray. He was also been banned from entering Beer for five years.

Prosecutor Mr Michael Brown said all the incidents stemmed from hostility the ‘notoriously unreliable’ fisherman Heron had against a former employer.

He mistakenly believed the unit was owned by his former employer and made threats to ‘do him’. The defendant has 56 previous crimes to his name, including some for criminal damage and violence.

Mr Warren Robinson, defending, said Heron had written letters of apology and was very sorry. He knows he had caused damage to the community he wanted to be part of. He said the defendant, of Fore Street, Seaton, has a history of mental disorder and did not think through the consequences of his actions.

Judge Anna Richardson said: “It was a deliberate revenge attack.”