A fireman’s son, turned firebug, has been jailed f

A fireman’s son, turned firebug, has been jailed for
seven years by an Old Bailey judge.

Judge Richard Hawkins QC said the public would be in
danger if the convicted arsonist, who recklessly endangered
the lives of two German tourists, was only given a light sentence.

In passing the lengthy sentence on Simon Cuthbert, 30,
the judge invoked special legislative powers in order to impose
an extended sentence.

‘Only such a sentence would be adequate to protect the
public from further harm from your actions,’ said the judge.

After he was found guilty it was revealed Cuthbert has
two previous convictions for arson although his latest attack
was by far the most serious.

In August 1981 at the Acton Crown Court, Cuthbert was
convicted of setting alight four classroom chairs and a garage
containing a car.

In November 1985 the firebug started a blaze in a disused
church and was imprisoned for a year.

Mr Carl Teper defending said his client’s ‘disturbed and
unhappy childhood’ as well as drug and alcohol abuse were the
reasons behind the crimes.

‘It would appear there may be some link with his father
being a fireman and the breakdown in the relationship with his
father,’ said counsel.

Cuthbert started two fires at a semi-detached house in
May last year (correct) containing two flats in The Vale, Golders
Green, north London.

The first, in a garden shed, was a ruse to make sure
there was no-one in the house.

A few hours later, after the fire brigade doused the
flames, he went back to ransack the downstairs flat of stereo
equipment and jewellery.

He even sat down for a cup of coffee and to watch
television before starting the last blaze and escaping.

The tourist, staying with his wife in the upstairs flat,
woke and was confronted by thick, black smoke.

The couple managed to ring 999 before fleeing through the
front door.

Passing sentence, Judge Hawkins told Cuthbert: ‘It was
extremely fortunate in this case that one of the tourists was a
light sleeper.

Clearly he and his wife’s lives were put in
danger.

‘
After both fires, the court heard Cuthbert went back to
the scene of the crime to check his handiwork.

He talked to neighbours, occupants of both flats and
emergency services officers, asked questions about the fires
and wrote notes in a pocket book.

As a St John’s Ambulance officer, he claimed to police
his only interest was whether First Aid was needed.

But his story began to unravel after one neighbour who
confronted him as he ran out of the blazing house said Cuthbert
had claimed to be a security officer.

Police became suspicious when they identified inconsistencies
in his story.

And when they examined his hands they found them blackened
and covered with ash.

His flat in the same street was searched
and inside property stolen from the arson attacked address was
found.

Giving evidence, Cuthbert admitted ransacking the flat
and torching the garden shed, but claimed the fire inside the
house was started by a cohort.

He claimed he and the accomplice, who was not before
the court, had planned the burglary together, but insisted that
he had left before the second fire was started.

Cuthbert’s counsel said after spending nearly one-and-
a-half years in prison since being arrested, his client recognised
he had a problem and wanted to do something about it.

He had joined Narcotics Anonymous and wanted to move to the
country because he felt living in London made it difficult to avoid
crime.

Cuthbert, unemployed of The Vale, Golders Green, pleaded
guilty to burglary and the arson of the shed.

He denied, but was
convicted of arson, being reckless as to whether life was
endangered for the second blaze.

He has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1976
for arson, theft, burglary, forgery and offences of dishonesty.

ends