A man has been jailed for eight years after deliberately starting a fire in the stairwell of a residential tower block.
Israel Baber set a sofa on fire at Eccleston House in Barton Hill, Bristol, shortly after 06:00 BST on 20 October 2022.
The 37-year-old, who lived in the block, denied the offence, claiming he was in his flat at the time. However, he was captured on CCTV moving around the building.
Det Ch Insp Laura Miller, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “Baber’s actions were hugely dangerous, and make no mistake they could have led to a much worse outcome on another day.”
Baber was convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on 14 March.
Speaking during sentencing at the same court on Monday, His Honour Judge James Patrick said Baber “endangered his neighbours and friends, resulting in a major incident”.
Baber’s sentence was increased due to aggravating factors and he will serve a minimum of two-thirds of it in custody.
‘Reckless actions’
The fire quickly spread around the building and all residents had to be evacuated. One person had to be rescued by the fire service, police said.
Nobody was seriously injured, but six people needed treatment for smoke inhalation.
A number of residents had move out and be re-housed by Bristol City Council, with the cost of the damage estimated to be more than £600,000.
Det Ch Insp Miller said: “The design of the building is such that residents were able to safely exit down a different staircase, but this should not downplay the seriousness of what Baber did.
“The fire understandably caused residents a lot of alarm and Baber has refused at any stage to take accountability for his reckless actions,” she added.
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