Carlisle arsonist started fire as family slept

Andrzej Jasinski, 34, had got into rent arrears and was poised to be evicted from the property on Brunton Avenue, off Warwick Road, when he began the blaze in the early hours of April 5 this year.

Sarah Magill, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court that seven people had been living at the five-bedroom house.

“Five were members of the same family, and Romanian,” she explained.

Polish national Jasinski had reportedly set off the fire alarm every day for the previous week, including the night of the incident.

George Suceveanu noted Jasinski “appeared intoxicated” that night, and heard banging from his room which lasted about 90 minutes.

Mr Suceveanu was then woken at 3.20am by the fire alarm sounding again.

“He heard his cousin shouting the word ‘smoke’ repeatedly,” said Ms Magill.

Looking outside, he saw Jasinski on the other side of the street running away.

“He went to the defendant’s bedroom and saw a small fire burning,” the prosecutor continued.

“The floorboards had been ripped up and broken, and two other tenants were stamping on the fire, trying to put it out.”

There were no injuries but family members were “so frightened” after the incident that they moved out.

Jasinski initially denied a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, but was sentenced yesterday after changing his plea to guilty.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, spoke of Jasinski’s personal and medical difficulties in the lead-up to the incident.

“He describes having a lot of stress. He was in physical pain. He apologises for his actions,” said Miss Whittlestone.

Judge James Adkin accepted the damage extent was small, but concluded: “The risk to life was intense.”

Jailing Jasinski for 40 months, Judge Adkin said: “The aggravating features of the case are that there was a motive of revenge - you were in the process of being evicted; the other occupants became so frightened they moved out; there is some suggestion you were in a measure of intoxication.”