SENTENCING STATEMENTS
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HMA v Jamie Morrison and Chloe Arnott
Sep 5, 2024
On sentencing, Judge Tait said:
"Jamie Morrison & Chloe Arnott, you both pled guilty to a single charge of wilful fire-raising to danger of life at Edinburgh High Court on 25 July 2024 by section 76 indictment. Chloe Arnott, your offence is aggravated by the fact you were subject to two bail orders and it involved abuse of your former partner.
On 23 October 2023, you together started a fire at a block of flats in Lochgelly. You started the fire in the bedroom of the flat of Chloe Arnott’s former partner at a time when his flat was empty.
You lit a piece of paper with a cigarette lighter and a fire started. You both immediately left the flat and the building. You did not attempt to alert the other residents to the fire.
Fortunately, an adjoining neighbour heard a loud crackling noise coming from the flat and after finding the wall to be very hot, he realised that there was a fire in the flat. Despite his panic at seeing the glass of the door start to shatter, he had the courage and presence of mind to knock on the doors of all of the flats to tell the occupants to leave as he himself ran outside.
There were 12 flats within the block and the flat where you started the fire was on the top floor. There were twelve people living in the block of flats at the time. Eight of them were present at the time of the fire and had to be evacuated as an emergency.
The response of the fire and rescue service was significant.
The fire was substantial and resulted in the demolition of the building at a cost in excess of £78,000. The estimated costs for rebuilding are approximately £2.1 million.
By good fortune, no one was hurt.
Jamie Morrison, you are 34 years old. You have a persistent and varied record of offending from 2007. Most significantly, you have a High Court conviction from 2016 for which you were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for wilful fire-raising.
Chloe Arnott, you are 31 years old. Your schedule of previous convictions dates from 2013 and you have 13 convictions for dishonesty, malicious damage, threatening or abusive behaviour, breach of bail, possession of a knife and offensive weapon and assault to injury. You have not served a custodial sentence.
I have listened carefully to what each of your counsel has said on your behalves this morning and take all of the points advanced in mitigation into account in determining a suitable sentence in each of your cases. I have given careful consideration to your criminal justice social work reports.
Nonetheless, this is a serious offence, to the danger of life of the occupants of the flats and resulting in significant costs. A custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal in each of your cases.
Accordingly, Jamie Morrison, I shall impose a period of imprisonment of 64 months backdated to 25 October 2023 from when you have been remanded in custody. The period of imprisonment has been discounted from 96 months having regard to your early plea, the utilitarian value of which I recognise.
Chloe Arnott, I acknowledge that your history of offending is lesser than that of Jamie Morrison and significantly you do not have a previous conviction for wilful fire-raising. Taking that into account, I shall impose a period of imprisonment of 52 months discounted from 78 months having regard to the point at which you pled guilty (six months of which relate to the bail and domestic aggravations). Again I recognise the utilitarian value of your early plea. The period of imprisonment will be backdated to 25 October 2023 from when you have been remanded in custody.
Chloe Arnott, to protect your former partner from harassment, I shall make separate a non-harassment order prohibiting you from approaching or contacting him, or attempting to do so, for a period of 8 years."