Arsonist bragged on Facebook after being spared jail sentence
Arsonist who torched a family campervan and a car after a night of heavy drinking gloats on social media saying ‘thank f*** for that’ as he is spared jail – after telling probation he was ‘aghast’ at his own behaviour
An arsonist who was spared jail after claiming he showed ‘genuine contrition’ was spotted bragging on Facebook just moments later, saying: ‘Yeahhhhhhh thank f*** for that.’
Scaffolder Andrew Abbott, 36, was facing a a custodial sentence after he torched a family campervan and a car after a night of heavy drinking.
But the father of one, from Horwich, Greater Manchester, was spared prison and was sentenced to a 12 months suspended jail sentence for two years, claiming he was a ‘hard working man’ and that he was ‘aghast’ at this own behaviour.
Abbott was also ordered to complete a 90 day alcohol abstinence order, 25 rehabilitation activity days and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Outside Bolton Crown Court, Abbott shamelessly posted a message to friends on Facebook announcing the verdict – along with three winking emojis – after admitting two charges of arson.
Abbott was seen boasting after being spared jail on Facebook moments after receiving the sentence
The scaffolder from Horwich, near Bolton, Greater Manchester told the court he was ‘aghast’ at his own behaviour
Friends later were seen joking about his sentence under the post, with one saying: ‘Hard working man?’ and posting a picture of Abbott asleep on the job whilst another said: ‘Ffs was hoping we got a break.’
The fires occurred between 10pm and 11pm on April 27 last year after Abbott had been drinking heavily with friends.
Maria Brannan, prosecuting, said ‘Police became aware of two reports of cars being set alight on Longworth Road in Horwich. Darren Smethurst, who lives on Longworth Road, saw smoke rise from his window and looked outside the window to see his Vauxhall Transporter’s wing mirror on fire.
‘He began to fill up pans of water to put out the fire but not before the flames had burned the side of the van. The fire brigade turned up soon after.’
‘The other complainant Jason Kay had gone to bed after coming back from work but at around 10pm he was awoken by his son who knocked on his bedroom door. He told him his car was on fire.
‘When Mr Kay looked out of his bedroom window he saw flames coming from the drivers side mirror. He ran downstairs to get his garden hose and promptly put out the fire. The fire brigade also turned up soon after and told him of a similar incident that had happened down the road.’
‘Eyewitness reports confirmed that the suspect was wearing an orange hi-vis jacket at the time of the offence. Mr Smethurst subsequently checked his Ring doorbell footage from the night. At 10:33 it showed the defendant standing in the front garden in a hi-vis jacket.’
‘When Mr Kay also checked his doorbell footage, he also saw the defendant. This time he was ducking under the wing mirror and then hid in the gardens when the fire was underway. Mr Smethurst was later able to quickly identify he defendant via social media and he was arrested four days later.’
‘In interview, the defendant made full admissions but said he had a patchy recollection of the night. He told police he had been drinking heavily that evening and did not know why he had started the fires. He also told police it made him feel ‘sick to his stomach’.’
In his victim personal statement, Mr Smethurst said, ‘I had spent two years upgrading and improving that van so it could be used as a campervan. I was going to use it to take my family away on holiday so we could escape everyday life. Now we can’t do that. It was worth more than just money, it was a way for us to get new experiences. I am now more conscious of my home security. Nobody has a right to damage my van.’
In his statement, Mr Kay said, ‘It was a pointless attack that left me feeling angry. I parked my car as close as I could to the house on the drive, it was right on my door step. I did this because I thought it would make my vehicle safe.’
‘My 14 year old daughter was so scared on the night of the incident that she has started sleeping in my bed with me. This is not fair, our home is supposed to be a sanctuary. There is also the fear that this fire could have spread to my home.’
‘Initially I thought that the vehicle could be saved as I thought only the windscreen was damaged but then I found out the electronics were also damaged. This has meant saving it is not financially viable and I have had to scrap the car. I now use a much smaller van for work, which is inconvenient.’
Abbott had 27 previous offences on his record including criminal damage in 2012. His counsel Mark Friend: ‘His behaviour is inexplicable, especially for a father of his age in full employment and he has shown genuine contrition.
‘The defendant lost his mother at a young age and his brother unexpectedly died young while he was on holiday. As a result of this he had developed a close relationship with his father and began to care for him in his old age.
A social media post from Abbott before his sentencing at Bolton Crown Court
‘Hard working man?’: One of Abbott’s Facebook friends posted a picture of the scaffolder asleep on the job
‘On the day of the incident, the defendant received a call from his father, who was in a care home at the time. He told him he needed to speak to him so the defendant met with him later that day.
‘His father then told him he had months to live due to cancer. This news was undoubtedly devastating to the defendant and goes some way of explaining him drinking a prodigious amount that night.
‘His behaviour in the course of those moments had a profound impact on not only him and the complainants but also his wider family and his young daughter. He has already told probation how aghast he was with his behaviour and his abuse of alcohol.’
Sentencing Abbott, Judge Martin Walsh said: ‘These were two gratuitous offences and mindless acts of vandalism.
‘The consequences of those offences were articulated in the victim personal statements and one can understand the sense of anger and horror they felt when they realised their property had been vandalised by somebody who had been heavily in drink. You caused enormous inconvenience to them.
‘But you have acknowledged your own disgust with your behaviour and have worked well with probation to address it.’