A drunken arsonist set a fire inside an empty Newcastle property after downing six litres of wine.
Alexander Burns was seen kicking the door in on a vacant property on West Road on October 3, last year, before smoke was seen coming from the building. When emergency services arrived, the 37-year-old was arrested near to the scene and police found a small amount of cannabis stashed "between his buttocks". It later transpired he'd set a chair and a stool on fire before leaving the building.
On Monday, Burns, of Colston Street, Benwell, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for arson and possession of cannabis. He pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
