Motherwell could have seen a 9/11 tower tragedy after a fire attack in a block whose residents include families and pensioners.
Firefighters who raced to Airbles Tower late at night found papers had been set alight and stuffed through a letterbox on the 10th floor.
The apartment was filled with smoke, but fortunately the blaze didn’t spread.
Robert Paterson, 43, of nearby Freesia Court, was accused of wilful fireraising, but was given a not proven verdict after trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
The fire happened on September 11, 2021 - exactly 20 years after the twin tower terrorist attack in New York that killed thousands.
Prosecutors accused Paterson of causing damage to the flat, which was empty at the time, and endangering the lives of other tower residents including elderly people and young families.
Paterson, a grandfather, denied starting the fire.
Crew Commander Fraser McNair said he and firefighter colleagues arrived at the tower block shortly after 10pm and made their way upstairs.
He told the jury: “I opened the letterbox and smoke issued out.
"I broke the lock and gained access to the flat.
“It was heavily smoke-logged inside and I saw paper in the letterbox that was smouldering.
“There were burn marks on the skirting and carpet, but the fire had burned itself out.”
Mr McNair estimated there to be at least 60 flats in the tower.
DC Stephen Rose said he viewed CCTV that showed a man he identified as Paterson going into the lift on the ground floor around 9.40pm.
The male was wearing a blue hoodie and distinctive Adidas training shoes with orange stripes.
Later he could be seen leaving the building and appeared to be nursing a scorch mark to his finger.
DC Rose said he went to Paterson’s home and recovered a blue hoodie from the washing machine.
He also seized Adidas trainers and noticed that the accused had what appeared to be a burn mark to his finger.
Defence agent Scott Jones raised the quality of the CCTV with the detective.
He said: “It’s not that great.
"It’s very difficult to see the detail on the man’s hand.”
Paterson admitted being in the building at the time, but claimed he went to another flat.
Lawrence Cairns, 51, said he was the tenant of the fire-hit flat, but told the court he had handed back the keys and was living elsewhere at the time of the blaze.
He was asked if he had started the fire and replied: “No.”
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