A mental patient who tried to set fire to a York hospital to kill himself has been sent for secure treatment.
Antony Higginbottom, 38, a resident at Bootham Hospital, was convicted at York Crown Court of arson and causing criminal damage.
The court heard Higginbottom, who suffers from schizophrenia, had been admitted to York Hospital in April 2006 for an assessment.
But during an interview he lost his temper and damaged a medical thermometer, a table and a computer worth in total more than £3,600.
Alan Mitcheson, prosecuting, said Higginbottom was then admitted to Bootham Hospital, but soon after barricaded himself into his room and set fire to a bed "in a vain attempt to take his own life."
Doctors at the hospital recommended the court impose orders under the Mental Health Act to detain him for treatment.
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