Five years for 'prankster' who set fire to student dressed as a sheep, then watched him burn

Jason Whatley, 39, of Faroes Close, Fareham, Hampshire, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court after admitting setting fire to 19-year-old Stuart Mitchell in October last year.

Mr Mitchell was left in "excruciating" pain with burns to 12% of his body after his cotton wool fancy dress costume was engulfed in flames during a night out at the Headingley Taps pub in Leeds.

Whatley, who was visiting the city for a reunion and had drunk around eight pints at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty last month to arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Today, the court heard how Mr Mitchell suffered burns to his ankles, arms and hands and needed a number of skin graft operations after Whatley used a cigarette lighter to ignite his costume of Lycra tights and a top covered with hundreds of cotton wool balls.

A packed courtroom watched CCTV footage showing the second-year Leeds University student running from the pub covered in flames and throwing himself on to the ground in the car park, closely followed by Whatley, who did nothing to help.

Abdul Iqbal, prosecuting, said: "As he was running to the car park, he says the fire was on his back and he could feel and see flames shooting past his shoulders, on to his front, his arms and legs, spreading across his body, leading to excruciating pain."

Mr Iqbal continued: "The complainant describes being able to smell his own hair burning, which was particularly distressing to him."

The barrister told the court Mr Mitchell had been left with "severe" scarring and had to relinquish his place at university for the year.

Whatley, who was arrested near to the pub a short time later, at first denied knowing he had set anybody on fire but later told officers: "I was trying to get a laugh. I don't know what I was thinking."

Derek Duffy, mitigating, described Whatley's actions as "foolish" but said there was no malice or intention to harm anyone.

He said: "(The Crown) accepted this was a joke which went wrong. Very dramatically and tragically wrong."

The barrister said his client, who was visibly shaking throughout the court hearing, felt "true remorse" for what had happened.

Sentencing Whatley, Judge Kerry Macgill condemned his "cowardly act" in standing by and not helping Mr Mitchell as he was on fire.

"You should hang your head in shame. Not just for setting fire to Mr Mitchell but for callously standing by and not trying to help," the judge told him.

"You had no sensible reason to set fire to someone's clothing. While you were not to know he would go up in flames as he did, you stood idly by and let him burn, and that is wicked in my view."

Judge Macgill continued: "For anyone to think that setting a fire or light against someone's clothing is a laughing matter beggars belief."

He added: "What you did was apply a naked flame close to another person's clothing. You are a man of 39, not a young kid who doesn't know what fire can do."

The judge said Mr Mitchell's life had been "blighted" by what happened on the evening of October 17 last year.

"I've seen the photographs of his injuries, I hope you have as well.

They are horrendous. His pain and anguish he suffered is hard to imagine," he told Whatley.

"He has scarring that will last a lifetime and pain and discomfort as well."

Judge Macgill sentenced Whatley, whose wife is due to give birth in a few weeks' time, to five years in prison and told him he would spend half that time in custody before being released on licence.