This is the face of an arsonist who set fire to his ex-girlfriend's family home. Police released the picture of 26-year-old Declan Gilluley, of Cox's Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, after he was jailed after pleading guilty to arson at a Nottingham Crown Court hearing.
Gilluley was living with his ex-girlfriend at her mum's family home of 21 years. After their relationship ended, he insisted on continuing to stay there - telling the family he had terminal cancer, the court heard.
The court heard how Declan had been watching films with his ex-girlfriend before going to sleep. He searched the internet for ways he could set a house on fire without being detected before the incident shortly before 5.30am on October 22 last year, an investigation has shown.
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Presenting the evidence to the court earlier this month, Alan Murphy, for the prosecution, said Gilluley used fire lighter blocks and accelerant in two of the rooms of the semi-detached propery on the ground floor. He opened one of the windows and then returned to bed, the court heard.
His ex-girlfriend, her mum and two children were woken up shortly after by Gilluley. Gilluley was first interviewed as a witness.
The lighter blocks were then found in the dining room inside the property. "Suspicion fell upon the defendant," Mr Murphy explained.
He had been in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend for a year when she decided to end it because they were "falling out", the court heard. "Initially he was upset," Mr Murphy said. The defendant wanted to remain at the ex-girlfriend's family address "to keep the friendship going".
He asked if she would go with him to the hospital for chemotherapy. The court heard how Gilluley "manipulated" the family into believing that he had terminal cancer.
In her statement, the ex-girlfriend's mum said she treated the defendant "like my son", and that "we cried together" when they learned about his 'terminal cancer'. She said that she "lost everything" in the fire, and the incident left her "devastated" - estimating that the repairs to the damaged property cost around £63,800.
Mr Murphy told the court the defendant intially denied arson with intent to endanger life. "He then accepted that he did it. He said he did it because the voices told him to do it," he added.
The probation service prepared a report to deal with the question of dangerousness, and a psychiatric report was also discussed in court. Lucy Jones, defending Gilluley, entered a submission saying that the defendant should be given full credit for his guilty plea.
She said that the defendant had suicidal thoughts before adding that "he is now seeking to address these issues". Ms Jones told the court that the probation officer who evaluated the defendant said there was a "low risk of reoffending".
Giving his verdict, Judge Mark Watson told the court: "You set the fire not just in one location but in two separate rooms - in the living room and dining room. You returned to bed, you woke up the family. The escape was by a narrow margin."
He said Gilluley gave a "fictious account" of what has happened. The judge reduced the credit percentage submitted by the defence for Gilluley's guilty plea.
Judge Mark Watson said the defendant acted in a "calculated fashion" and concluded there had been "serious risk of serious harm". Gilluley was given six years in prison with an extension of four years - 10 years in total.
He will have to serve two thirds of the six years sentence before applying for parole. Sentencing Gilluley, the judge added: "It was your plan to be the hero and have the family forever in your debt. You are a very dangerous offender."
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