An intoxicated man told a fire service manager he had thrown a cigarette into a large Carlisle garden shed which was destroyed by a blaze, a jury has heard.
David Paul Beattie, 47, is on trial at the city’s crown court. He stands accused of arson following an incident at the rear of an address in a cul de sac at Buchanan Place, Currock, on the afternoon of June 9, 2020.
Beattie was living there occasionally with his partner at the time.
Giving evidence this morning, watch manager Stuart Adams said he arrived at the scene, on the first of two fire appliances, five minutes after the alarm was raised by a neighbour.
There was a “lot of smoke”, he recalled. Firefighters tackled the blaze in a large shed which was ultimately “destroyed”, while the neighbour on the other side of a fence also used a hose to fight the fire. He was later offered oxygen as a precaution.
Mr Adams recalled talking to Beattie, who appeared “intoxicated”. “He told me that he had thrown a cigarette into the shed and that he had had a domestic argument with his partner,” the experienced watch manager told jurors. “He was apologetic to us, as firefighters.”
Beattie, said Mr Adams, continued drinking what he believed was wine as the incident was tackled. He admitted he had caused the fire “at least a couple of times”, said the watch manager.
Police were called to the scene at 5-40pm. Footage from one officer’s body cam was played to the jury. This showed firefighters standing amid the charred remains of the large shed. Mr Adams was captured on camera telling another officer Beattie had admitted he’d “thrown a cigarette into the shed which has been full of spray cans”.
Under cross-examination from Beattie’s barrister Jack Troup, Mr Adams agreed it was “possible” Beattie mentioned throwing a cigarette “in” the shed, as opposed to “into”.
A relative of Beattie’s earlier confirmed to the jury she went to the scene and spoke to him after seeing smoke. The woman agreed in a police statement she gave shortly after the incident, she referred to Beattie saying he’d “had an argument” with his partner, and “thrown a cigarette” at the shed.
But in evidence she gave a different account, saying: “I went up to him. That’s when he said ‘I went in the shed, had a fag, put that fag down, went back and the whole shed was on fire’.”
Mr Troup said to the woman: “It is right Mr Beattie is sorry for what he has done.” She replied: “He is devastated.”
Beattie, of Margaret Creighton Gardens, Carlisle, denies three charges which allege arson causing hundreds of pounds’ damage to property belonging to a neighbouring couple, the Garden Life project and Rock Youth group. The trial continues.
