Jamie Ross
A man set fire to his own council flat and left the local authority with a £53,000 repair bill.
The blaze at Dale Sivewright’s home near the centre of Fraserburgh took two hours to bring under control.
At the High Court in Glasgow yesterday the 21-year-old admitted wilful fire-raising and acting in a threatening and abusive manner three days before the incident..
Police found him on the roof of the block of flats, near the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses and Fraserburgh Heritage Centre tourist attractions, screaming that he was going to go “mental”.
Judge Lord Burns remanded him in custody yesterday and deferred sentence for reports.
The court heard that Sivewright’s actions resulted in the flat being “rapidly” engulfed by flames.
The living room suffered the most damage, but other areas, including the kitchen and hallway, were also affected by the flames.
Fire service investigators believe he started the blaze on a sofa.
He was the only person in the block of flats at the time but his rampage left Aberdeenshire Council with a £53,000 repair bill.
A spokesman for the local authority said: “Firefighters had to soak the block of flats.
“We’ve just repaired the roof, and we are hoping to move a couple of people back in over the next few weeks.
“But there is still work to be done to the particular flat which was set on fire.”
Sivewright will appear at the High Court in Aberdeen for sentence on July 26.
The court yesterday heard that he had previously attempted suicide.
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