An accused arsonist, whose father was a fireman, w

An accused arsonist, whose father was a fireman, went
back to the scene of his blaze to check on the investigation,
the Old Bailey heard today (mon).

The jury heard St John’s Ambulance officer Simon Cuthbert,
28, endangered the lives of two tourists who were sleeping above
the Golders Green flat which he ransacked before setting alight.

The German couple decided to stay in their rented upstairs
flat in The Vale, despite the fact that Cuthbert had earlier tried
to set fire to a garden shed, the court heard.

Prosecutor Rhyddian (corr) Willis said the occupants
of the downstairs flat did not feel quite as safe and decided to
sleep elsewhere for the night.

The German couple woke up about four hours after the first
fire and were confronted with thick, black smoke.

They managed to ring 999 before they escaping through
the front door.

Outside the husband bumped into the accused arsonist.

‘The defendant went down the side alley (to the garden)
and came back up and was constantly on the move,’ said counsel.

It was his odd and ‘suspicious’ behaviour that attracted
attention.

Miss Willis said Cuthbert took great interest in the fire
investigation, going back to the scene of the crime to ask questions
of numerous emergency services personnel, neighbours and the flat’s
occupants.

He even claimed he was a security officer and took notes
while interviewing a neighbour, continued Miss Willis.

When police found the notebook, part of a note inside
said ‘First, shed’.

However, Cuthbert had earlier told police he was ‘not aware
there had been an earlier fire’.

He was arrested as a result of the inconsistencies in his
story aroused their suspicions.

And when his hands were examined they were found to be black
and covered in ash.

His address was searched and in his room police
found including jewellery stolen from the torched flat.

Interviewed, Cuthbert said he had no idea why the stolen goods
were there.

Asked by police why he had shown so much interest in the
fires he said: ‘As a First Aider it was my duty to report any incidents
of First Aid and I wrote that in my book.

‘
He also told police he had been on his way home from work
as a First Aid officer at Her Majesty’s theatre in the West End.

He could give no ‘reasonable explanation’ why it had taken
him nearly four hours to get to his home 100 yards from the blaze.

The court heard one of Cuthbert’s room mates and a neighbour
saw him leaving the premises on two separate occasions.

The first time was after the fire brigade had doused the fire
in the garden shed.

The second time was following the fire inside the house.

Miss Willis told the jury it was facing a case of circumstantial
evidence.

‘When you look at all these circumstances and all the evidence
and piece it together, you can be satisfied that this defendant is
guilty,’ she said.

Cuthbert, of 105 The Vale, Golders Green, denies arson and
being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The jury were told that he has pleaded guilty to burglary.

The case continues.

ends