Man Sentenced for Arson After Setting Fire to His Home to Watch Firefighters in Action
A 26-year-old man from Northumberland, UK, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to setting fire to his own home in an attempt to witness firefighters in action. James Brown, who had an unusual fascination with the fire service, repeatedly called the fire department, even going as far as to start the fires himself.
On September 9, 2023, Brown called emergency services to report a fire in his home. Firefighters responded quickly, extinguishing a small fire caused by bed linens and disconnecting the electricity as a precaution. However, just 90 minutes later, Brown called again to report another fire in the same property. Despite the power outage, he attributed the fire to the same electricity meter.
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Firefighters grew suspicious and, upon further questioning, discovered that Brown had been filming their efforts to extinguish the flames. With a history of calling the fire brigade 80 times over the past year, it became clear that his actions were driven by an obsession with firefighters rather than a genuine emergency.
Brown eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, admitting that he had acted recklessly and endangered lives. Judge Robert Adams, during sentencing, emphasized Brown’s obsession with the fire service and the waste of valuable resources that could have been used to respond to genuine emergencies.
In response to his actions, Brown was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. Brown’s lawyer stated that he was “extremely remorseful” and had since sought help for his obsession.
