Robert Pitman was jailed for four years today after admitting to setting fire to Waitrose last July. The supermarket put the overall cost of the blaze at £4.5m; including building damage, stock loss, and reduced turnover.
Robert Pitman, 24, of High Street, Wellington, Somerset was already on a curfew and wearing an electronic tag when he set fire to an open-top rubbish bin outside store on July 21 last year, Taunton Crown Court was told.
The blaze spread to an overhead canopy and then to the store’s roof. Fire investigators came to the conclusion it was lit with a naked flame.
Pitman had been homeless for much of the time since he left school and was seriously affected by drug and alcohol abuse. The judge warned Pitman that he risked a lifetime in prison if his behaviour continud on such a dangerous path.
Full story: Western Daily Press