A teenage arsonist has been fined just £61 for sparking a devastating fire at a barn causing more than £1 million of damage.
The boy, now aged sixteen, who can't be named for legal reasons, admitted starting the blaze at a barn near Eynsham, Oxfordshire, on October 24th, 2021.
Oxford Youth Court gave him a four-month referral order and told him to pay £61 in costs after he admitted a single charge of arson.
The cost of the damage – covered by insurers - was put at more than £1m, with farm machinery and tonnes of hay destroyed.
The teenager told the court: "I just look back on it as a very stupid and reckless thing and I know that and have admitted that. I’m just very glad that no one was hurt."
Then aged 15, he handed himself in within weeks of the blaze.
District Judge Kamlesh Rana demanded to know why it had taken so long to get the case to court.
"It should have been dealt with, in my opinion, a long time ago – nearer the time it happened – and it should have been dealt with by way of an out of court disposal, to give you the opportunity to get on with the rest of your life," said the judge.
The court heard that the boy and two friends had been out playing when they got past a locked gate and into Acre Hill Farm, near the A40 north of Eynsham.
They entered the barn, where the boy played with a lighter, using it to set light to pieces of straw.
More than 40 firefighters from two counties battled to control the flames and it took around 10 days for the scene to be made safe, the court heard.
The judge told him: "This is your chance to put this behind you, to do the work that’s agreed between you, your mum and the members of the referral order panel and to make sure you do that work yourself if it involves reparations."
As well destroying the barn - owned by a farmer in his 70s - cattle had to be evacuated but no one was injured and all the livestock survived.
Investigating officer PC Cory Fastnedge said: "This incident caused untold damage to the farm building and the victim suffered immeasurable loss as a result of this boy’s reckless actions.
"The case was sent to the CPS at the end of May 2022 following an extensive review by the Youth Offending Team.
"The CPS deemed this suitable for an out of course disposal; however, the Youth Offending Team and the officer in charge deemed that this was not suitable due to the nature of the offence, the value of the damage, and the devastating effect that this had on the victim.
"This caused delays in getting the case to court while further interviews and extensive reviews were carried out. This incident happened due to an extremely reckless act by the defendant that caused extensive damage.
"He can count himself very fortunate not to have received a more significant sentence, but we respect the judgement and hope that the boy can learn from his reckless actions and ensure there is no repeat in the future.
"The victim lost not only a vast amount of machinery and farm equipment, but this also badly affected his livelihood, and he is still recovering from what happened.
"Tackling rural crime will remain a top priority of Thames Valley Police and we will not hesitate in bringing charges to court."
