Stable lad is sent to jail for 'revenge' arson attack

Stephen Shaun Peirson, 44, wanted to punish Wayne Jervis because he believed him to be responsible for an attack on his friend "Lester" Patchett, a jury at York Crown Court heard.

When his intended victim was out, he set light to Mr Jervis's ground-floor room in a terraced house in Vine Street, Norton.

Peirson later admitted his guilt to police in a letter and a taped interview, but then maintained he was innocent and his "confessions" were a cry for help in dealing with "premonitions".

Dismissing his claims, the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, said: "You realised you had put your foot in it and tried to bluff your way out of it. Fortunately, the jury saw through your lies.

"It was deliberate fire-raising with intent to do significant damage in the flat. It was a revenge attack, as you said in your confession to police."

He jailed him for four years. Peirson, of Old Maltongate, Malton, had denied arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, but was convicted after a trial.

The jury heard that all of Mr Jervis's belongings were destroyed in the fire on April 7, 2001, apart from the clothes he stood up in at the time. Although he was out at the time the fire started, people were in both the adjoining houses and the fire probably burned unnoticed for 45 minutes before it was spotted by a neighbour.

Defence barrister Simon Hickey handed in a psychiatrist's report that said that Peirson was not suffering from any mental illness, but could have an abnormal personality.

The barrister said a doctor had recently diagnosed Peirson as being in the early stages of multiple sclerosis.

Prison would be hard for Peirson because he was a stable lad and had always lived an outdoor life. The offence was out of character.

During the trial, Peirson claimed he had foreseen something terrible would happen in September 2001 and the Soham man-hunt.

Updated: 11:14 Friday, April 04, 2003