A man with mental health problems photographed the fire he set at a Luton home for vulnerable and elderly people.
Mohammed Hamza, 26, was bailed and went back to Abigail Court in Abigail Close, and called the police, saying he was going to burn the place down.
Prosecutor Michael Attenborough told Luton crown court on Friday, June 26, 2020, an ‘accelerant’ was used to start the fire on a door at 9.30 at night on March 11 last year.
He said: “The home provides assisted living for the elderly and vulnerable. There are 33 residents and 31 of them are wheelchair users.”
Fire fighters were quickly on the scene and nobody was injured. Hamza was identified from CCTV footage in May last year and was interviewed, denying he had caused the fire.
He was re-interviewed in July after the police found an image of the fire on his mobile. He made no comment to the officers’ questions.
On September 29, whilst on bail, he went back to Abigail Court, which is his near his home. Mr Attenborough said: “The police were called by the defendant who said: “I am in a place where I committed a crime. I feel like I am going to cause some harm.
“He explained he had mental health issues and said he was going to burn the place down.”
Officers arrived and found him in the street. When questioned he admitted making the call to get help with mental health issues.
Hamza, of New Bedford Road, Luton, appeared for sentence via a link from Bedford prison.
He had earlier admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and threatening to cause criminal damage.
Defending, Charles Judge said he had already spent nine months in custody, which is the equivalent of an 18 month sentence. Mr Judge said: “The defendant and the public would benefit from having his mental health issues treated.”
He said his mental health had deteriorated in 2019 after both his parents had been killed in a road crash. He said Hamza had been sectioned under the mental health act for a period last summer.
Judge Barbara Mensah told him: “Arson is such a terrifying offence. It is not clear why you targeted this home. The elderly and vulnerable people there would have been less likely to escape and would have been left traumatised.”
She said it was clear he needed assistance for his mental health problems. She made a two year Community Order with 18 months’ of a mental health treatment and 20 rehabilitation activity days.
The judge also made an indefinite restraining order banning him from going near the home.
