A repeat arsonist has been jailed after he armed himself with a plastic bottle of petrol and left it at the door of a neighbour to "punish" him for his perceived behaviour. Harold Blades was told he is "dangerous" in the context of the law as he was sentenced to four years in prison for arson being reckless, with a four-year extended term when he is released on licence.
Blades learned his fate over a video link to Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (January 6) after Judge Nirmal Shant, King's Counsel, heard from a psychiatrist the defendant is suffering from a number of personality disorders. After committing a serious offence of arson in March 2012, where he held his wife in a "hostage situation" before starting a fire, Blades had lit the bottle at his neghbour's home in St Ann's last year.
The offence, on May 17, was captured on CCTV and showed Blades in drink, armed with the plastic bottle of petrol and a lighter. He placed the bottle, wearing gloves, in such a way it would, when ignited, set fire to the door with neighbour and his 83-year-old dementia-suffering uncle inside.
Read more: Arsonist left burning petrol at man's door to 'scare' him in St Ann's
The petrol burned off, but the Judge told him: "You put the bottle in a position you hoped would ignite the front door. All of that borne out of your desire to punish your neighbour for his behaviour perceived by you.
"You did not know that in fact what happened there was an elderly male, aged 83, with dementia was inside the property. I don't sentence you on the basis you knew that - but there is always a risk there is more than one person inside the premises. Your own flat was next door."
Blades turned away and left - only calling police ten or 15 minutes later - in what the judge branded was a "revenge attack"; "in the sense you perceived yourself to be aggrieved and you went there armed and prepared, in drink, to set fire to your neighbour's door".
The court was told "multiple people were endangered". Blades has 36 convictions for 71 offences, including the 2012 arson where he went to prison and was released on extended licence. The court was told on that occasion, 66-year-old Blades, of no fixed address, felt a grievance against the police.
"You felt they were not doing as they should in relation to your younger daughter," added the judge. "I am not clear from the paperwork what that complaint was. In effect, you kept your wife hostage, informing the police you were doing so when they arrived at the scene.
"They tried to persuade you to let her go and managed to persuade her to get out of the window. Despite your attempts to he get her back, you presented at the window cutting yourself, setting fire to your T-shirt." Blades then set fire to curtains before firefighters forced entry.
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