'Anger sparked arson'

A WREXHAM man said to have a fascination for fires, particularly when he was under stress, set fire to three houses.

The case against Mark Andrew Salisbury - who claims to hear voices in his head and who at a previous hearing was branded a pyromaniac - was adjourned so he could be assessed at a specialist centre in Birmingham which deals with arsonists with learning difficulties.

Judge Roger Dutton at Mold Crown Court indicated that, depending on the psychiatric evidence to be placed before him, a hospital order may be appropriate.

But he said he would not make a hospital order if, as indicated in one report, he would only be detained for six months.

If he made such an order he would put a restriction on it so there was statutory control over his future release and he could not simply be told he could go by medics.

The choice the court had was a substantial prison sentence for serious offences of arson but that would mean on Salisbury's release nothing would have been done to tackle his mental health problems, the judge said.

The alternative was to go down the route of a hospital order under the Mental Health Act if two experts agreed that was appropriate.

'That way, positive steps would be taken to deal with what may be seen as a fascination with fire in desperate circumstances,' said Judge Dutton.

That would be in the wider public interest and reduce the risk of future offences.

Salisbury, 35, admitted starting three fires - in Brynteg on August 22 last year and two in Broad Street, Rhos, on March 29 and April 26 this year.

He admitted arson on the basis of being reckless as to whether lives were endangered.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Mills said the fires followed a similar pattern. Salisbury would be angry, send his wife out on an errand, then fires would be started when she was away.

Two were started at his home when he had been complaining to a housing association that he wanted to move, and another was caused at an adjoining flat while the occupant was in prison.

Mr Mills said that at Grenadine Close in Brynteg, Salisbury set the curtains near the front door alight, he lied to fire investigators and it was initially believed someone had pushed lighted paper through the letterbox.

The flat was one of a block of six, and at one stage his wife was stuck inside the property and had to get out through a window with the dog. A witness also went to the flat above and helped to evacuate the woman occupier. Just under £2,000 worth of damage was caused.

Salisbury and his wife were then housed in a flat in Broad Street in Rhos, where he started two seats of fire in an adjoining flat, causing £1,300 worth of damage.

The third fire was at Salisbury's home, which was less serious and confined to smoke damage, costing £700 to repair.

On April 30 Salisbury went to the police station and told an officer he was being accused by a neighbour of starting a fire.

He initially alleged a gun had been held at him, and when police told how they would get firearms officers out Salisbury became upset and said he had made it up.

At an earlier hearing a further charge of reckless arson in Broad Street on July 1 was allowed to remain on the file.

On that occasion, Judge John Rogers QC said: 'There are three fires here. What is deplorable is that having committed two fires and being arrested on May 1, he admitted what he had done.

'Unfortunately, he was represented in the interview that followed by a solicitor who said to this man that he should answer no comment. There was no evidence therefore against him and he was released. Thereafter, he started another fire.

'That solicitor might well consider if that was the appropriate course to take and whether it really was in the best interests of this man.'

The judge said Salisbury had endangered not only his own life but that of other people and in his position it might have been advisable to permit him to tell the police what he had done.

'It is fortunate no-one was killed in the fire in July,' he said.