A WREXHAM man who started a fire in an outside boiler house has been jailed for five years for arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

Paul Owen, 48, was handed the sentence by Judge Niclas Parry at Mold Crown Court on Monday, January 10 after previously pleading guilty to arson with intent to endanger life, following the incident on October 28, 2021.

However, it was accepted by Judge Parry that Owen was not in a position to plead to this offence, when he did so last month, because of his mental state and was sentenced on the basis of recklessness rather than intent.

The court heard how Owen had been drinking in the back yard which contained a boiler house, heating and a gas bottle for the property on Percy Road in Wrexham, an end-terrace house of multiple occupation with five tenants across two floors.

He had clashed with a number of tenants during the evening over his presence at the house, and one tenant, Stuart Lafferty, told police that Owen had threatened to 'blow them to smithereens', which the defendant denied.

A group of tenants had gathered upstairs but when one headed downstairs and to the back yard, he was heard to be screaming because of a well-established fire underway that completely destroyed the roof of the outhouse and had spread around the garden.

The tenants also told police they were in fear for their lives and were emotional over what they believed could have happened.

The court heard he had caused damage of more than £4,000 while the landlord had lost more than £3,000 in rent.

Owen was found by police in Albert Road in the early hours of October 29 and was arrested.

Judge Parry said that Owen, who had also breached a community order, could have caused greater damage because of his actions,

He said: "This is a significant matter – anyone looking at this case should see the photos to see that property was left without a roof and badly damaged.

"There could have been much more serious consequences.

"You acted in this way because you were angry and accused of previous behaviours; you were out of your senses because of alcohol consumption.

"You were muttering to yourself and found by police on the pavement.

"The occupants have been left feeling emotional because of the reality of what could’ve happened.

"This was a home to people and attached to it was this boiler room.

"One occupant described being petrified thinking she was going to die.

"Unusually you are entitled to one third (credit) and in my view you were mentally damaged at the time and were not in a position to plead."

Owen, who has 51 previous convictions, will serve half of his sentence on licence.