A man who set fire to his own home during a drug-induced psychotic episode has been praised by a judge for the way he has turned his life around.
Neil Charlton deliberately started several small fires in his home after barricading the front and rear doors before jumping out of a window, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 49-year-old was spotted in an agitated state by a motorist who pulled over and was told people were trapped inside the property in Skelton, east Cleveland.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the female motorist was so concerned about Charlton’s erratic behaviour that she remained in her car while she called the emergency services.
She said: “She noticed the defendant, who was barefoot and standing on a small wall, waving his arms around.
“He told her that smoke was coming from his property and people were still inside.”
Miss Atkinson said when the fire brigade arrived they discovered both the front and rear doors were locked and were barricaded closed.
She said Charlton had been smoking drugs at the time he started the fires in several different locations throughout his semi-detached home.
Charlton, now of Bradford Road in Otley, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered at his former home on East Parade in Skelton, on January 10.
Sophie Johnstone, mitigating, said her client had taken massive strides in addressing his longstanding addiction to Class A drugs and was in the middle of a psychotic episode at the time.
She said: “He accepts that his behaviour was unacceptable but this was man who was battling his inner demons.
“He was using a drug that ravaged his mind at the time of this offence – he was in the grip of a debilitating addiction at the time.”
Judge Jo Kidd sentenced Charlton to two years in custody suspended for two years after making great strides in tackling his drug addiction.
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“What is clear from what I have read about you is that you have been addicted to binge drinking and Class A drugs for a significant period of time,” she said.
“Your progress in respect of your rehabilitation has been nothing short of extraordinary. I say that in light of the length of your previous addiction and the extent of it.”
Charlton was also ordered to attend ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
