SF Admin
Administrator
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2009
- Messages
- 7,160
- Reaction score
- 4
A disgruntled and drunken worker started a blaze at his workplace where he was sacked for not turning in, a court heard.
Paul Greenwood, 35, went to Access Scaffolding in Padiham, wearing protective gloves and armed with petrol and a lighter.
He also threatened to torch director Lee Williams's home and when told police had been called said: “I'm not bothered. I have nowt to lose. I know I am going down.”
The defendant, said to have had an addiction to benzodiazepines, admitted threatening to cause arson, having an article with intent to cause arson and arson at Burnley Crown Court.
Greenwood, of Brownhill Avenue, Burnley, was jailed for two years Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said that the defendant had worked at the scaffolding firm since 2005, but his employment had been problematic because of absences due to alcohol.
Last November, he did not turn up and Mr Williams rang his home, spoke to his girlfriend and sacked him.
Later that morning, Mr Williams's colleague Anthony Riley, was at the company when he received a call from the defendant telling him: “I am not having this.
"I am going to get some petrol and sort it out.”
Mr Parker said an hour later he arrived at the office, a steel cabin in the yard of the business premises.
He was agitated, seemed “off his head”, incoherent and mumbling and was carrying a two litre plastic bottle of liquid and a lighted cigarette.
Mr Williams went outside to confront Greenwood who then poured petrol onto some scaffolding pipes and tried to light them.
They did not ignite but he squirted the rest of the petrol on wooden scaffolding boards against the office, which set alight.
The defendant told Mr Williams: “You know I know where you live. That house is gone.”
Philip Holden, for Greenwood, said: “It was a pretty pathetic attempt.”
Source: Lancashire Telegraph
Paul Greenwood, 35, went to Access Scaffolding in Padiham, wearing protective gloves and armed with petrol and a lighter.
He also threatened to torch director Lee Williams's home and when told police had been called said: “I'm not bothered. I have nowt to lose. I know I am going down.”
The defendant, said to have had an addiction to benzodiazepines, admitted threatening to cause arson, having an article with intent to cause arson and arson at Burnley Crown Court.
Greenwood, of Brownhill Avenue, Burnley, was jailed for two years Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said that the defendant had worked at the scaffolding firm since 2005, but his employment had been problematic because of absences due to alcohol.
Last November, he did not turn up and Mr Williams rang his home, spoke to his girlfriend and sacked him.
Later that morning, Mr Williams's colleague Anthony Riley, was at the company when he received a call from the defendant telling him: “I am not having this.
"I am going to get some petrol and sort it out.”
Mr Parker said an hour later he arrived at the office, a steel cabin in the yard of the business premises.
He was agitated, seemed “off his head”, incoherent and mumbling and was carrying a two litre plastic bottle of liquid and a lighted cigarette.
Mr Williams went outside to confront Greenwood who then poured petrol onto some scaffolding pipes and tried to light them.
They did not ignite but he squirted the rest of the petrol on wooden scaffolding boards against the office, which set alight.
The defendant told Mr Williams: “You know I know where you live. That house is gone.”
Philip Holden, for Greenwood, said: “It was a pretty pathetic attempt.”
Source: Lancashire Telegraph