Leyland man Gareth Morgan jailed for arson attack on neighbour he thought was a paedophile
A Leyland man has been jailed for setting fire to his neighbour’s house after an online vigilante group claimed the man was a paedophile.
Gareth Morgan, 45, admitted arson with intent to endanger life after starting a blaze outside the victim’s home in Cheetham Meadow.
He set fire to a bin in the early hours of May 18, which spread to the home’s plastic front door and caused extensive damage. You can read our report on the fire here.
Preston Crown Court heard Morgan, of Cheetham Meadow, targeted his neighbour after seeing a Facebook post from ‘paedophile hunters’ accusing the man of sexual offence against a child.
“You will never guess what I have done. I have just put the door through of that nonce,” Morgan told another neighbour, as emergency services rushed to the scene.
When he saw the same neighbour speaking to police, he was seen mouthing: “shush, don’t be a grass” before fleeing.
The victim, who suffers from mobility issues and a heart condition, suffered burns to his nasal passage and a swollen voice box. He has since moved address after losing all his possessions in the fire.
In a victim impact statement, he said: “I have lived in Leyland all my life and have been forced to relocate due to this. Apart from my clothes, all my belongings have been damaged.”
Morgan, who has previous convictions - mostly for drunk and disorderly behaviour - told the court he regretted his actions, which he described as “reckless and impulsive”.
He claimed he had “tried to move the bin away from the building”, but his failure to alert the emergency services was criticised in court.
Sentencing Morgan to seven years in prison, Judge Robert Altham said: “You left the victim to his fate. He was the only one who called emergency services, by the time smoke was so thick he could not see his hands in front of his face and had difficulty breathing.
“There was thick black smoke. He had a significant swollen voice box and burns to his nasal passage. He was admitted to intensive care for his injuries.
“The victim has been forced to relocate as a result of your offending. There is a significant risk that he could have died if he was asleep, he now struggles to sleep and fears a sense of concern.”
Morgan was jailed for seven years and handed a 12-year restraining order.