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IT GOES without saying how dangerous fire is, so those who deliberately start blazes are rightly punished at court.
And there have been a handful of arson cases dealt with at Reading Crown Court over the past six months which could have led to deadly situations.
Here’s what happened to those convicted of starting fires in Berkshire.
Kamran Ali
A man who threw flaming bottles at a home while a family including a four-year-old were inside was jailed for arson in September 2021.
Kamran Ali, of Bromford Lane, Birmingham, not only launched the flaming missiles but went on to drive at two police officers before attacking one of those arresting him.
The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to a string of offences including two counts of arson, dangerous driving, criminal damage, and assaulting an emergency worker.
Reading Crown Court heard how Ali launched his attack on November 2, 2020, when he threw bottles filled with flammable liquid at a property in Moor Lane, Maidenhead.
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The occupants were inside at the time and the building was damaged.
Ali then drove off at speed and launched another bottle of flammable liquid into the road.
He continued his rampage by going on to damage a door and window of a property in Switchback Close before trying to leave – as he did he damaged a parked car and repeatedly rammed another.
Now on a flat tyre, Ali drove at speed to Colliers Close where he stopped and was found by two police officers. He reversed the car at them, although they managed to get out the way, and Ali smashed into a garden fence and concrete post.
He locked himself in his car, but police were able to get him out before he then attacked one of the officers.
Ali pleaded guilty to the string of charges on January 28, 2021, and was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, September 8.
He was sent to prison for seven years and handed a 18 month driving ban for once he is out.
Unnamed Slough woman
A ten-floor skyscraper in Slough could have gone up in flames in what would have been a ‘nightmare scenario’ after a woman lit two small fires in a ‘cry for help’.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons,was locked up after the incident in March 2021.
A court heard how the woman had been through a difficult period in her life prior to lighting the fires which forced her to turn to drink.
The fires were discovered by a resident on the tenth floor of the Skyline apartment block on Slough High Street on March 19, 2021.
Here, she discovered burning pieces of cardboard in a metal bowl.
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She put the fire out with some water from her flat after the flames had reached a height of around 5 inches.
Assessing the impact of the fire, a local fire station manager said: “If the fire had taken hold, it would have been a nightmare scenario.”
His Honour Judge Dugdale passed a 76 week prison sentence.
The woman was sentenced for one count of arson leading to recklessness as to whether life is endangered at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, November 10.
Russell Benn
A Bracknell man has been jailed after setting fire to a store that he was barred from for shoplifting.
Russell Benn, of Ogden Park, scorched the front of Stop and Shop in a “revenge attack” at 3am one night in June 2021.
The 62-year-old also threw the contents of a food waste bin at the shopfront after screaming “I hate you, I’m going to kill you” at the owners.
Reading Crown Court heard how Benn’s dangerous rage culminated in a fire after he poured accelerant liquid onto a box of shredded paper and lit it.
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Fortunately, a passerby quickly put out the fire with a bottle of water and the only damage were scorch marks.
It was heard that Benn used to be a regular customer of the Ralphs Ride store but he was barred by the owner after he started causing issues with other customers.
Benn was allowed back into the store but was then banned once again after shoplifting.
Prosecutor Katie Doherty said: “The court may consider this was a revenge attack driven by issues between Mr Benn and the owner.”
Benn was promptly arrested the same morning but denied his involvement in the incident, even after police matched his clothes in CCTV footage.
But he told officers: “A lot of people in the area wear the same clothes.”
The Bracknell man continued to deny the allegations and the case went to trial, where Benn was convicted of arson.
Defending for Benn, barrister Edward Seller told His Honour Judge Smith that the defendant suffered from bipolar disorder.
However, Judge Smith said it was “speculative” to suggest Benn’s bipolar reduced his culpablity for the offence.
He continued: “A lot of people are bipolar but not many of them set fires to shops.”
Judge Smith sentenced Benn to 11 months behind bars for arson at Reading Crown Court on Friday, February 4.
