A Carlisle man who destroyed his own “man cave” shed by fire after hurling a cigarette end inside while in a drunken rage has been given a suspended prison sentence.
David Paul Beattie’s reckless act, behind his partner’s home at Buchanan Place in residential Currock on the late afternoon of June 9 last year, caused a fire which spread to neighbouring gardens, sent thick smoke billowing into the air and sparked a rapid response by the emergency services.
But as a neighbour desperately tried to douse flames with a hose and firefighters also battled the blaze, intoxicated Beattie simply sipped wine at the scene.
He also revealed to an experienced fire officer, a relative and a police constable he had thrown the cigarette end into the shed — which housed spray paints and aerosol cans — following a row with his partner.
Beattie denied three arson charges, telling a Carlisle Crown Court jury the fire was just an accident.
He described the shed, which he built himself, as his man cave in which he produced artwork, and of being haunted by the incident.
He had told police: “I’ve burned my whole life down.”
Beattie, said to be a long-standing alcoholic, was convicted on all three charges and sentenced today when prosecutor Julian King said the fire-starting “was reckless as to whether serious damage was caused”.
The shed was destroyed and damage was also caused to neighbouring fencing and a building belonging to the Rock youth project, which offers free activities to youngsters.
Beattie was said by his lawyer to have rebuilt everything he could which was wooden after the fire.
“He is ashamed of his behaviour,” said Jack Troup. “He is ashamed of the damage that was caused.”
Passing sentence, Judge Richard Archer told Beattie, of Margaret Creighton Gardens, Carlisle, he acted in a rage, and that his offending was reckless in the extreme.
“This was no accident,” concluded the judge.
But after hearing mitigation and background information, Judge Archer suspended an eight-month jail term for 18 months, along with rehabilitation and alcohol treatment requirements. Beattie must also pay £818.94 compensation to the Rock youth project.
