An arsonist who started a £20,000 blaze at a Scots university which threatened to spread to cylinders of explosive butane gas has dodged jail.
Jonathan Brown set light to a storage area at Queen Margaret University after getting off a bus at its campus in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard there were 18 cylinders of butane, carbon dioxide and helium nearby, some of which could’ve exploded if exposed to severe heat.
Brown, 33, appeared at the court on Monday for sentencing after admitting a charge of wilful fireraising last month.
Sheriff Alistair Noble said he was sparing Brown a prison term “despite the nature of the charge and the cost of the damage”.
The sheriff said prosecutors weren’t “challenging” Brown’s claim that he set fire to some leaves in a bid to keep warm.
The court heard Brown claimed he moved the gas cylinders before starting the fire to get them out of the way.
Sheriff Noble told Brown he was sentencing him to the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody.
The sheriff also warned him “he may be sued in civil court” in a bid to recover damage costs.
Earlier defence agent Holly McKie said her client had secured employment as a bartender.
Last month’s hearing was told Brown, of Edinburgh’s Gorgie area, was spotted on CCTV running from the scene in the moments before the flames took hold.
Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren said Brown got off a bus at the campus terminal at around 11.47pm. He was seen on cameras walking around while smoking and drinking from a can.
Ms McLaren said the accused was spotted “moving back and forth between the bus stop and a nearby storage room”.
The court heard he “stayed in this area for a significant time” before running away at 1.44am when a fire alarm activated.
Ms McLaren said flames quickly took hold in the storage area, which was underneath a main stairwell, and firefighters arrived at 2.10am.
Firefighters took 15 minutes to gain control of the blaze and smoke caused damage to other parts of the university.
Ms McLaren added Brown, who had no connection with the university, handed himself into a police station the day after the fire, which took place on July 5 2020.
The court heard CCTV from that evening showed Brown “under the influence” and that he’d fallen asleep on the bus, only waking up as it reached the campus.
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