Man jailed after setting fire to gas cylinders

AN ARSONIST who set a fire in a house and suggested to a fireman that they "go inside and die" has been jailed for 30 months.

Kevin Trigg started the blaze at an end-of-terrace property in Armada Place, Dove Street, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The homeless South African was a bright man who sometimes lapsed into drug and alcohol misuse, the court was told.

Trigg, 25, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered in May.

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The Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Neil Ford QC told him: "It was an extremely dangerous thing to do. If the propane exploded there would have been serious danger to neighbouring properties as well as Armada Place.

"You were in a bizarre state of mind on this night and you were saying illogical things."

Mark Hollier, prosecuting, said fire service watch manager Andrew Goode arrived at the scene, saw Trigg at the front door of the smoking house and pulled him away.

He said Trigg told him: "I set the fire. I want them to die. I want them all to die. You'd better get in there, there are people in there. I set fire to a cylinder. Let's go in there and die."

Mr Hollier said the fire was in the basement and firefighters tackled it in 45 minutes.

In the debris was a 50kg propane gas cylinder and a 25kg helium gas cylinder, which had not exploded but were burnt.

Witnesses, who described hearing a crack like lightning and whoosh of flame, saw Trigg with a gas cylinder, the court heard.

Though a psychiatric nurse pronounced Trigg fit to be interviewed, police felt they were not getting through to him and no questioning took place.

Trigg, who has been living rough in Bristol, was convicted for disorderly behaviour by magistrates in March, and received two cautions from police for unrelated incidents, Mr Hollier said.

Martin Lanchester, defending, said his client's mother had visited from South Africa to give her son money, clothes and food, but she had flown back home that day.

Mr Lanchester said: "He has no recollection of how the fire started.

"He carried a large cylinder out of the building, and when arrested he said he took the gas cylinder away."

Mr Lanchester said the property was derelict and unoccupied.

He said his client had had periods in work and had been in a relationship but suffered a breakdown in 2009, becoming homeless and starving.

Trigg, who had episodes of substance abuse, had suffered a similar breakdown and committed the "bizarre" offence, the court heard.

Mr Lanchester told the court: "He said he never wanted anyone to be hurt, despite what he was ranting about when he was seen."