West Lothian man deliberately torched block of flats

A man has admitted recklessly setting fire to a flat in West Lothian, putting local residents in great danger.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Apr 2018, 15:30 BST
Updated 9th Apr 2018, 15:34 BST

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Livingston Sheriff Court.Livingston Sheriff Court.
Livingston Sheriff Court.

Archibald Wilson was originally charged with wilful fireraising and had been set to stand trial by jury.

But at a first diet hearing at Livingston Sheriff Court today he pled guilty to the less serious offence of culpably and recklessly starting the blaze.

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Wilson, 53, currently a prisoner at HMP Addiewell, admitted setting fire to piles of paper in the living room of the house.

He committed the offence in a block of terraced flats at 16 Letham Terrace, Pumpherston, on 17 December last year, the court was told.

The charge states that the resulting blaze took hold of the premises causing extensive damage to the building and danger to members of the public.

Alistair Macleod, prosecuting, moved for sentence on the indictment charge, but gave the court no further details of the incident.

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Sheriff Susan Craig told Wilson she needed further information about his background and personal circumstances before passing sentence.

She adjourned the case until 26 April for a criminal justice social work report and an assessment of Wilson’s suitability to be electronically tagged under a restriction of liberty order.

Sheriff Craig ordered that the accused remains remanded him in custody until that date.

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