MORRISONS ARSONIST JAILED FOR SIX YEARS (From Warrington Guardian)

MORRISONS ARSONIST JAILED FOR SIX YEARS

AN ARSONIST who caused more than £3.7million damage in a blaze at a Winsford supermarket has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Raymond Mark Cartwright, of Alexandra Square, had previously pleaded guilty to reckless arson after starting a massive fire at the Morrisons store, on Nat Lane, on April 20.

Chester Crown Court heard how the 37-year-old used a cigarette lighter to set fire to a pallet of toilet rolls so that he could be the hero by sounding the alarm.

Sentencing Cartwright on Friday, Justice David Clarke said: "Life could so easily have been endangered by the starting of a fire in a place where people were working. This must be regarded as a very serious fire of arson and the very high degree of recklessness must be recognised."

At around 1.30am a member of staff saw Cartwright carrying two bags containing tents and thought this was strange and informed night manager Christopher Smith who went to investigate.

David Potter, prosecuting, said: "As he walked towards the warehouse he heard a whistle and Cartwright was saying to him 'quick, quick, there's a fire'. Within minutes the fire had taken hold of the entire warehouse which was completely destroyed within two hours."

Cartwright told the court that his mother had died the week before he set fire to the warehouse and that his life was in turmoil.

Michael Bagley, defending, said: "The origins of this fire were based on an emotionally overwrought condition on the night in question.

"He decided on the spur of the moment to start the fire with a view that he would be the hero if he raised the alarm. This is not a case where someone has tossed a flame into a flammable area and walked away leaving others to deal with it."

Cartwright was also sentenced to nine months for deception to run concurrently after he failed to disclose previous convictions for robbery, burglary and other acts of dishonesty when applying for the job.

Judge Clarke said: "You would never have been working there but for your deception."