Shropshire Star

Dispute over dogs led to Shrewsbury arson attack, court told

A Shrewsbury man set fire to a newspaper before pushing it through his 74-year-old next-door neighbour's letterbox in a row over his dogs, a court heard.

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Pensioner Jean Kelly came downstairs after smelling smoke to find the flaming paper hanging through the letter box and burning on to the floor. It was quickly pulled out by a passer-by who spotted it and only caused damage to the front door, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Investigations found fingerprints on the Shrewsbury Ad Mag belonging to Simon Blake, 42, Mrs Kelly's then neighbour in John Street, Castlefields.

The court was told Blake had been in a heated row with Mrs Kelly just days before the attack.

He was seen "going mental" at Mrs Kelly two days before the arson attempt in March last year in a row over his dogs, the court was told.

Blake, 42, formerly of John Street but now an inpatient at the Redwood Centre in the town, was ruled unfit to plead at an earlier court hearing to a charge of arson and being reckless as to whether the life of Mrs Kelly was endangered. A jury must decide whether Blake did the act he is accused of or not.

Mr Gerard Quirke, prosecuting, said: "On March 24 last year, somebody tried to set fire to Jean Kelly's home by putting a magazine and leaflet through her letter box and setting fire to it.

"It caused some damage to her front door. While the fire was quickly put out after somebody dealt with it, it's obvious putting things through the letter box in that way could have set fire to the house and could have endangered the life of Mrs Kelly, who was inside the house at the time.

"The issue in the case is whether it was Simon Blake or whether it could have been someone else.

"The prosecution say the evidence makes you sure of it. The magazine used to set fire to the front door had his fingerprints on it.

"It was dated March 20. When police visited his home it was found he had copies of the same newspaper, but that the March 20n edition was missing. He had taken it and used it to try and set fire to the lady's front door.

"He had a motive to do it - he was upset with her because he believed she had been part of a complaint which resulted in his dogs being taken away from him."

Mrs Kelly said she was woken at around 7am on March 24 by someone ringing her doorbell four or five times.

By the time she got downstairs, the court heard, no-one was at the door. But the bell went again around an hour later and this time when she got up she could smell smoke before seeing the magazine in the letter box.

Giving evidence, she said she could hear Blake was up and about next door, heard him talking on the phone and heard his front door slam not long before her doorbell rung the second time.

"I was very upset and shaking," she said.

The trial continues.

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