Jail for fireraiser who spread tenement terror

Firefighters had to rescue residents after Rory McVay, 32, targeted their homes.

He also caused “great alarm” to a detective, by threatening to set fire to his home while his family was inside.

Lady Smith told McVay at the High Court in Edinburgh that it was disappointing to see in background reports that not only could he not explain his actions, but he had given no thought to the consequences.

“You showed wicked disregard for the wellbeing and home life and property of these people,” said Lady Smith.

She added that only a guilty plea had saved McVay from a sentence of seven-and-a-half years.

McVay, of St Katherine’s Crescent, Edinburgh, admitted three charges of wilful fireraising, and a charge of threatening to set fire to the house of Detective Sergeant John Kavanagh.

Not guilty pleas to three other fireraising charges were accepted by the Crown.

McVay has a record of 25 previous convictions, mostly for housebreaking.

Advocate-depute Laura Thomson said a resident of a tenement in Hillside Street, Edinburgh, discovered that a bag of clothing and bicycles had been set on fire outside her door on the night of 1 December, 2008, and she contacted the fire service.

A neighbour, aged 81, was rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation.

On 12 October, 2009, a bag of rubbish was ignited on the top floor landing of a tenement in Oxford Street, Edinburgh.

A short time later, McVay dialled 999 from a nearby telephone box to report the fire. It had been put out by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.

A fire in South Clerk Street was started about 10pm on 25 October, 2009. Miss Thomson said most of the residents in the building were students, and several were alerted by the fire alarms sounding in their flats.

They telephoned for help, and the fire service also received a call from McVay.

People had been driven back into their flats by the smoke and heat in the stair, and Scott McGee and Chris Hutchins jumped from their window after dropping a mattress on to the street.

Their flatmate, Michael Hanning, climbed out on to the window ledge and was rescued by firefighters using ladders, as was another resident, George Clark.

The court heard McVay had been detained and taken to St Leonard’s police station, and he asked if he was going to be interviewed by Mr Kavanagh, a detective based at the station.

He said he had previously followed Mr Kavanagh home from work and knew where he lived.

“I’m going to burn down his house with his family inside,” he threatened.

He laughed when he was arrested for making the threats.