A Luton man has been jailed after being found guilty by a jury of setting fire to a man in Luton on September 24, 2018.
Paul Morrison, 48, of Adelaide Street, Luton was jailed for seven years at Luton Crown Court on Monday, March 9, 2020) for causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
On the morning of September 24, 2018, the victim woke up and saw Morrison, who was known to him, pouring an unknown substance over him.
When the victim went to the bathroom, Morrison used a lighter to cause the victim to be momentarily engulfed in flames. The victim managed to put the flames out on his own.
A neighbour was alerted on hearing the fire alarm, and when he entered the property, he saw the victim who asked him to call an ambulance.
Due to the nature of his injuries, the victim needed to be transported to a specialist burns treatment unit.
Morrison denied pouring a flammable liquid over the victim, and claimed the victim set himself on fire in a kitchen cooking incident.
Detective Constable Catherine Layton, who led the investigation, said: “Morrison poured an accelerant over the victim when he was asleep and unable to defend himself. When he woke up the offender set fire to him.
“The victim managed to put the fire out and the neighbour was alerted and able to quickly call for medical help. It is extremely lucky that this incident was not far worse.
“We are satisfied with this substantial prison sentence, as this was a nasty attack on an unsuspecting victim. Morrison will now spend this time paying for his actions.”
