'Nervous' defendant set fire to court toilet

A MAN has been jailed for two years for starting a fire in a toilet causing hundreds of pounds of damage and leading to the evacuation of Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

Jeremy Wootton, who has learning difficulties, told police later he was feeling nervous and agitated because he was due to appear in court for shoplifting and failing to surrender to bail.

He said after noticing scorch marks in a toilet near a waiting area in the court on April 1 last year he decided to set light to a toilet roll.

Minutes after he left the toilet a solicitor opening the door to see flames and a lot of smoke. He raised the alarm and a decision was made to clear the building.

Mark Bursell prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court yesterday a security officer, who was a retired fireman, realised it was not safe to try and combat the fire with the equipment on hand.

Firemen wearing breathing equipment eventually extinguished the blaze which had extensively damaged the male toilet.

Security staff then watched CCTV to see who had gone into the toilet and Wootton was spotted. When the building re-opened later that day he was spotted in the queue waiting to get back in and was arrested.

Wootton, 23, of Noster View, Leeds, admitted arson.

Adrian Pollard, representing Wootton, said he now realised he should not have done what he did, was very sorry and was extremely frightened at the prospect of prison.

Recorder Nicholas Campbell QC said Wootton had accepted starting more than 10 fires in rubbish skips and bins in the past.