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Drugged-up Joseph Taylor deliberately started a fire in the hostel where he was staying. The 59-year-old had taken monkey dust and mamba when he put paper into the toaster in his room at the Brighter Futures hostel, Hanley, at 2.45am on December 1 last year.
The fire alarm sounded and the corridor filled with smoke. Residents and staff had to evacuate the Hope Street building.
Firefighters put out the blaze and found the fire was deliberately started. Now Taylor has been jailed for 32 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
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Prosecutor Jamie Scott said Taylor was a resident at the hostel and his behaviour was described as ‘bizarre’ on the evening of November 30 as he went into the staff area and attempted to take things. Staff believed he was under the influence of intoxicants.
He went to his room at 12.20am and at 2.45am the fire alarm sounded. Mr Scott said: “The alarm had been triggered from his room on the second floor. Two staff members went upstairs and saw him running away.
“The corridor filled of black smoke. He kicked the door so staff members were able to get through it. They went downstairs and upstairs through a second stairwell. They approached him from behind and he was restrained.
“CCTV showed a thick billow of smoke from his doorway immediately followed by Taylor. An occupant in the adjacent room was seen to emerge and walk down the corridor. He had heard the alarm and smelt smoke. He emerged and saw Taylor in the corridor. He saw him flailing his arms around.
“The emergency services attended. Taylor was taken to hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation. He confirmed to the psychiatrist that he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
The court heard he was taken to custody. He said he put a piece of paper in a toaster to light a cigarette. He admitted he had taken monkey dust and mamba.
A fire investigator found two areas of fire, the toaster and the bed. A duvet had been taken from the bed to a communal shower in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
Mr Scott added: “The fire investigator concluded it was started deliberately by setting fire to paper in the toaster and transferred to the bed where it was set fire to the duvet.”
The fire caused £3,000 damage. Taylor, of Butler Street, Stoke, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Rob Holt, mitigating, said: “The defendant on December 1, 2022 is not the person before you today. People were visiting him at his room and bringing various substances which he partook in. This incident was a result of dust.”
Mr Holt said Taylor no longer uses alcohol or drugs. He added: “He understands it was a foolish action trying to light a cigarette by placing paper in the toaster. He tried to put the fire out himself. But the situation soon became out of control and he was unable to cope. To his credit he tried to do something about the problem he started.
“Prison would set back the great work done in the past eight months.”
Judge Paul Glenn said: “Your behaviour in the hours leading up to this offence was bizarre. The police were initially called out to deal with you. No offences were judged to have taken place and after calming you down they left.
“The hostel accommodates homeless people and others in need of support. You started a fire in your second floor room at 2.45am, when the other occupants are likely to have been asleep.
“Staff members saw you behaving bizarrely. You were obviously under the influence of drugs. Later on you accepted taking monkey dust and mamba. These are both notorious psychoactive substances.
“The fire investigator concluded the fire was started deliberately. The obvious aggravating feature is you were heavily under the influence of drugs. You endangered the lives of many people. It was fortunate no-one was injured.
“There have been some positive changes in your life since the offence was committed.
“It is so serious only immediate custody can be justified. Fire is notoriously unpredictable. You could have easily killed somebody.”
Taylor will serve no more than half the sentence with the rest on licence.
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