AN arsonist who has set his own home alight on three occasions has been jailed for more than two years.

Jonathan Evis deliberately started the latest fire in the bedroom of his Stockton home in May this year.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 29-year-old had done exactly the same thing on Christmas Eve 2019 and again in January this year.

A neighbour who spotted smoke billowing out of the detached property called the emergency services after becoming concerned about Evis' behaviour.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said: "The witness saw the defendant standing on the fence, the defendant was spoken to by the man and he appeared unresponsive.

"Due to the amount of smoke emanating from the property the witness called the fire brigade. When they arrived, the defendant was now standing on a metal shed in the rear of the garden, he was pointed out to the police, who were also in attendance, and the defendant was arrested.

"A fire officer found a fire at the rear of the premises where garden furniture had been set alight and inside there was a well developed fire on the first floor.

"The fire investigation report found that the main seat of the fire was in the second bedroom on the first floor and it concluded that it was started by a naked flame being introduced to flammable article in the room."

The Northern Echo: Jonathan EvisJonathan Evis

Mr Dryden said Evis had set fire to the property on two previous occasions – December 24, 2019 and January 19, 2021.

He added: "The fire brigade were called on both occasions and for some reason the defendant wasn't prosecuted, possibly something to do with his mental health situation at the time.

Evis, of Melrose Drive, Stockton, pleaded guilty to causing arson wile being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Andrew Turton, in mitigation, said the 29-year-old had struggled with mental health problems and cocaine addiction but is 'realistic' about the likelihood of a custodial sentence and asked the judge to pass the shortest sentence possible.

He said: "It would appear his fire starting involvement has been relatively shortlived during a period of cocaine-fuelled incidents. It as clearly been identified by the probation service as needing significant intervention, already, he has started the process which has been forced upon him by his incarceration."

Mr Turton said a delay in entering a plea to the charge was to allow time for medical checks to be investigated and to see whether his client was fit to plead to the offence.

Judge Paul Watson QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, jailed Evis for two years and four months for deliberately starting the fire.

"It was quite clear that the main seat of this fire was in a bedroom which had been caused intentionally by a naked flame being introduced to flammable articles and the photographs show that there was extensive damage caused to the property and the risk to life was obvious," he said.

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