Ex-serviceman set fire to his own home to ‘sort out’ noisy kids nextdoor

Andrew Cutts told a 999 call handler he dowsed rags and chair legs with vodka before lighting them against an adjoining wall in his three-bedroom terrace, on Ferndale Close, at 11.30pm, on January 2, said prosecutor Gregor Purcell.

By the time firefighters arrived smoke was billowing from the property and the flames were knee-high.

They estimated it was five minutes away from being serious and could have had 'considerable implications' for the neighbouring property.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that earlier an 'irrational' Cutts had argued with his neighbour and demanded respect for having served in the armed forces. But he later slipped a note of apology through his neighbour's letterbox which quoted the bible.

When his neighbour's brother confronted him outside, Cutts said: "I am willing to do this to my own house to sort you out. I will do whatever it takes. I have started this fire to get my neighbour's kids."

He then punched the man, leaving him with a small laceration above his left eye that was treated at the scene.

Shanon English, mitigating, said Cutts, of previous good character, had a 'difficult childhood' and his first job in the armed forces had been 'particularly traumatic’.

A combination of epilepsy and depression cancelled out the effect of medication prescribed for his post-traumatic stress disorder, but she said he was now sober and had secured new accommodation in Mansfield.

Cutts, 47, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, on February 18.

Judge Stuart Rafferty QC sentenced him to two years, suspended for 24 months, and imposed a community order with 40 rehabilitation days to address his consequential thinking and monitor his alcohol level.

He said: “You’re a lucky man because but for a few minutes more, spared by the prompt action of the fire service, you may have been facing a charge of murder. Wholly innocent people might have been killed.

“It maybe that you called the fire service to report what you had done but you did nothing to put the fire out – you simply walked away from it.

"You had reached a state of paranoid belief that the people next door were trying to make your life a misery by making as much noise as possible.”

“You had sought help with that, but nothing had happened and you were clearly frustrated about that and you did this awful act.”

The judge said had the fire service arrived a few minutes later, the blaze Cutts started could have proved fatal.

“Your house would have gone up and the houses to both sides would have gone up,” Judge Rafferty said. “Innocent people might have been killed.”

The judge said he would suspend the prison sentence, to enable Cutts to obtain professional help for his mental health issues.

He said: “You have suffered for many years with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a debilitating mental illness.

“It will take many years of therapy before you can cope with the problems you have.”

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Lauren Morgan, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Cutts’ actions that day could have led to devastating consequences.

“As alluded to by the judge, it was only the swift response from our fire service colleagues that meant no-one was harmed or killed.

“I am pleased Cutts has now been made accountable for his actions and that he now gets the help he needs.”