An arsonist who was drunk and high on cocaine when he torched a flat was caught out by his burnt and blistered fingers, a court heard.
James Alty, 31, started the blaze after he had rowed with the female occupant of the apartment. The occupant of the flat below heard footsteps when Alty came back and moments later the fire alarm went off.
Now Alty, said to have a history of mental problems, has escaped a prison sentence after he tearfully told a court he deserved a second chance. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. Of the downstairs neighbour, prosecutor Steven Ball told the court: "She saw the defendant walk past her front window.
He was in a drunken stupor and he said to her 'oh there is a fire' and she phoned 999. “She was aware of orange flames burning the window blinds of the upstairs flat.
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