Youngster sentenced for arson at care home (From The Northern Echo)

Youngster sentenced for arson at Peterlee care home

10:37am Friday 3rd February 2012 in Peterlee News By Gavin Engelbrecht

A SCHOOLBOY who caused the partial evacuation of a care home when he set it on fire while playing with a cigarette lighter was yesterday sentenced for arson.

Pensioners had to be taken to safety after the 12-year-old started the blaze in the porch of the home in Westcott Road, Peterlee, at 10.30pm on November 28, last year.

The youth court in Peterlee was told the boy, who was missing from home, went into the porch to keep warm and was lighting threads on a couch out of boredom.

He ran away in panic when a fire started.

Janet Coxon, prosecuting, said a senior care worker was alerted by a fire alarm and arranged for some of the 36 residents of Peterlee Care Home to be evacuated.

Damages of £6,000 were caused to the porch, but no one was hurt.

She said the boy ran to another care home to raise the alarm, asking if he could use his mobile to call the fire brigade.

Ms Coxon said: “He said he regretted his actions and realised that someone could have been killed.

“He felt shocked as he had seen someone in a wheelchair and saw residents were disabled.”

Neil Bennett, mitigating, said the boy had not started the fire deliberately, adding: “He never thought of the consequences of setting fire to the chair and what would happen after that.”

Mr Bennett said boy’s family were already working with different agencies to try to effect a meaningful change in his behaviour.

The boy admitted arson being reckless as to whether property would be destroyed or damaged.

He also admitted a burglary at the community centre in South Hetton, County Durham, in September, in which a charity box containing £1.50 and keys were taken.

And he admitted stealing four packets of cigarettes from a shop in October.

He was accompanied by his mother and given an 18- month youth rehabilitation order with a supervision and activity requirements.

He was also ordered to pay £1,020 in compensation.

A referral order he was already on was cancelled.