Man who started kitchen 'inferno' in friend's Telford flat while in mental health crisis is jailed

Judge Recorder Christopher Millington KC, accepted Webb has "significant mental health issues" but said he was at "high risk of causing serious harm to others".

The court was told the case related to two offences in Telford, the first on July 15, and the second on August 12.

In the first Webb had gone to the Globe Bingo Hall in Donnington, Telford, shortly before 10pm and asked staff if he could use the toilet.

During the conversation he was described as saying things which "gave staff cause for concern," telling them people were "after" him, and saying "I will use it when they get here".

Webb was said to have had a piece of wood in his hand and was at one point trying to use it to block the door, with staff believing he was suffering a mental health episode.

Staff said they did not feel threatened and asked Webb if he wanted them to call the police – to which he replied 'yes'.

When officers arrived, Webb co-operated with their request to search him, with the officers discovering a knife in his possession.

Another knife was also found in the toilet of the premises, with Webb in possession of two pieces of wood.

In an interview with police following his arrest Webb said that he had been the victim of an attempt on his life, and had the weapons for protection.

He was charged and bailed.

The second incident took place when Webb was staying at a friend's top floor flat on Stafford Street in St George's on August 11 to 12.

The court heard that at around 4.30pm Webb had gone into the kitchen and 'smashing sounds' were heard by two women in the flat before he locked himself in, and blocked the door.

The fire service and the police were called, with the flat's owner describing the ensuing fire as "an inferno".

Fire officers were said to have rescued a man and two children from the ground floor of the building before they found the flat-owner trying to force the door to the kitchen with a crowbar.

She was removed from the property and fire officers managed to get into the kitchen, where they found Webb choking on the smoke caused by the blaze.

They said a fridge freezer had been used to block the door, with a microwave on top.

Mitigating, Webb's barrister Anthony Horsefall said there was "an element of tragedy in this case".

He said Webb had suffered from significant mental illness, was in the midst of a crisis and attempting to take his own life when the events occurred.

Sentencing, Recorder Millington said he was aware of the mental health issues concerned but said that Webb had a "poor history of compliance" with the probation service, mental health supervision and drug requirements.

He said that the probation service had described him as "unworkable and unmanageable".

He added: "You are impulsive, lacking empathy to your victims, with little insight to the consequences of your reckless actions."

Recorder Millington said the fire had put two women in the flat at "serious risk of harm", and that a report prepared for the court said that Webb's mental health issues do not require hospital treatment.

Webb was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for the arson, with six months to be served concurrently for the possession of a bladed article.

He will also serve three and a half years on license following his release from prison.