A Shrewsbury teenager has been locked up for more than a year after setting fire to the office of a county minicab company as part of a “war” between rival firms.Shrewsbury Crown Court today heard the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was paid £25 to set fire to the office in Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury, on September 27 last year.
The court was told he returned the following day and made another attempt to destroy the business.
Judge Robin Onions, who sentenced the teenager to 14 months detention for the two arson attacks, sent out a warning to the people behind them.
He said: “Those who organised this must understand, if they are caught and brought to justice they will go to prison for a very long time indeed.”
The court heard the teenager was approached by a middle-aged man in the Harlescott area, who he believed owned a rival firm. The man asked the youth to set fire to the Castle Foregate business.
Mr Philip Lowe, prosecuting, said 27 Castle Foregate was owned by Paul Merrifield who was converting it into an office.
He said at 10.15am on September 27 witnesses saw a youth get out of a small red car then walk over to the premises. He was seen running away a few minutes later.
“The witnesses looked and saw flames coming from the letterbox. Mr Merrifield was called to the premises and found there was damage to the amount of about £1,000,” said Mr Lowe.
“The following day at about 9.30pm Mr Merrifield was informed his premises were on fire again.
“The upstairs window was broken and something had apparently been thrown through it. A thumb-print matching that of the defendant was found on the soil-pipe outside.”
Judge Onions was told the teenager admitted both offences on the basis he had been paid to do it by a man “engaged in a taxi war with Mr Merrifield”.
The teenager was under a supervision order at the time and was today also sentenced to four months’ detention for a theft, with no separate penalty for a charge of criminal damage.
These were ordered to run concurrently.
By Rhea Parsons
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