Police have released a horror video of the moment a man squirted petrol over a homeless man and set him on fire.
David Weir carried out the revenge attack on the man who 24 hours earlier had “floored” him outside a fast food restaurant in a town centre.
Weir’s horrifying attack turned rough sleeper Thomas Smith 30, into a human fireball.
On Thursday Weir was jailed for ten-and-a-half years for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Smith.
The attack happened in Luton town centre on the afternoon of New Years Day this year.
Members of the public out shopping witnessed the horrific sight of Mr Smith on fire close to a McDonald restaurant.
A court was told today some rushed to his aid as he frantically tore off his clothes in a bid to prevent serious burns.
Judge Mark Bishop hearing the case at Luton crown court was told Mr Smith is convinced his bushy beard saved him from suffering serious facial injuries.
Weir, 53, carried out the attack on the homeless Mr Smith in revenge after an argument the day before.
The court was told Mr Smith had “floored” him when he thought Weir and a friend were trying to steal from him.
Police had been called, but took no further action after Mr Smith said he didn’t want to take it further.
But as he walked away Weir said ominously: “I’ll be back.”
In the hours that followed he plotted revenge and bought petrol which he put in an empty Fairy Liquid bottle.
He had been drinking heavily when he attacked his victim the following afternoon knowing he would be in his usual spot in a doorway close to a McDonalds restaurant in George Street outside the shopping mall.
In court on Thursday, June 4, 2020, Weir of Park Street in Luton appeared in custody to plead guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and a charge of assaulting an emergency worker by spitting at a police officer after he had been arrested and taken into custody.
The video released by Bedfordshire police following the sentencing of Weir shows him walking across the pavement to an unsuspecting Mr Smith who is sitting on the pavement in his usual spot
Weir stands over him with the Fairy Liquid bottle squirting petrol over his victim before bending in closer and using a lighter to ignite the fuel turning Mr Smith into a fireball.
Engulfed in flames he manages to stand up and stagger a few paces before collapsing to the ground.
The court was told Mr Smith frantically tore off his clothes to prevent serious burns and members of the public ran to his aid
Prosecutor Matthew Kirk said Mr Smith is convinced his bushy beard had saved him from suffering serious facial injuries.
Mr Kirk told how how on the afternoon of January 1, this year homeless man Thomas Smith, 30, was sat in his usual place in George Street outside McDonalds.
“He was approached by Weir who stood directly over him and directly in front of him and then sprayed with a liquid accelerant from a Fairy Liquid bottle.
Mr Kirk said the victim, who before the attack had been slumped on the pavement, found himself engulfed in a “ball of flames” and experiencing pain that was “unreal.”
The court heard passers by witnessed Mr Smith rolling around on the pavement in an attempt to put the flames out.
Members of the public rushed to his aid and patted the flames out.
Judge Bishop was told Weir had remained present at the scene throughout pacing around until police arrived and arrested him.
He had been drinking heavily.
The court heard the flames had been most “significant” around Mr Smith’s head and they were the last to be extinguished.
He was rushed by ambulance to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital where it was found he had suffered burns to face fingers and and wrists.
Mr Smith was then transferred-to a specialist burns unit.
Miraculously, the court heard today that the victim was only in hospital for three days and didn’t require surgery.
The prosecutor said he had been reluctant to engage with follow up treatment and so it was not possible to say how he was now six months on.
In a short statement he provided to the police shortly afterwards he said: “I have no idea why the attacker would do this to me. The level of violence and aggression was so extreme I am sure he intended to kill me.”
At the time he spoke of being “covered in blisters and peeling skin”.
Mr Kirk said after being taken into custody for the attack on Mr Smith, Weir who was heavily intoxicated, spat on the body vest of PC Matthew Bright at Luton Police Station.
The court was told there was bad feeling between Weir and Mr Smith for some days.
A week before the attack Mr Smith had intervened to stop Weir being aggressive towards a woman he knew.
Then on New Year’s Eve, the day before for attack, police were called to an incident in George Street after Mr Smith had punched Weir and a friend.
Mr Smith told the officers he had done so because Weir and his pal was trying to steal from him.
Judge Mark Bishop sentenced Weir to an extended sentence of 15 and a half years.
The judge told Weir the custodial element of sentence was 10 and a half years of which he would have to serve a minimum of seven years behind bars before the parole board could even consider if he was suitable for release.
The judge said whenever he is released he will remain on licence until 2035.
Judge Bishop told Weir: “The public must be protected from you. By your actions you have shown yourself to be capable of callous, premeditated ruthlessness.”
The judge went on: “I’ve no doubt you wanted to inflict as much pain and suffering as you could by what you did.
He said it was likely young children had been in the McDonald restaurant that day and witness the attack.
Detective Constable Gary Hatton who investigated the attack said: “Weir deliberately left home that day with a bottle full of accelerant, and used it to seriously endanger the life of another man.
“We are truly grateful for the intervention of those passers-by who, without fear for their own safety, put out the flames and saved the victim from further harm, then confronted Weir and remained at the scene until he was arrested.”
