Arsonist who torched front door while family slept in random attack jailed

An arsonist who set fire to a house while a family-of-three were asleep has been jailed for seven years and eight months.

Mark Saunders, 36, of Highbury Drive, Blackwood, targeted a random front door on Attlee Court, Lansbury Park, Caerphilly, while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

He poured petrol on the door and ignited it with a lighter. Thankfully, a neighbour saw the fire and called the victims, waking them up in time to escape from the house.

The attack happened in the early hours of Friday, January 28.

Saunders appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on October 19, where he pleaded guilty to one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

As well as his prison sentence, Saunders was also given an extended licence period of two years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190 upon his release – which goes towards funding victim services.

Detective Constable Matthew Pearce, of Gwent Police, said: “The victims in this case, a family-of-three, were asleep in bed and were fortunately woken by their neighbour who noticed that their front door was ablaze. Without the reaction of their neighbour, who managed to put out the fire and prevent the spread, this could have led to catastrophic consequences.

He continued: “After a joint investigation with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, it was established that Saunders had thrown a flammable liquid over the front door which led to the fire igniting at such velocity.

“I welcome the sentence passed and hope that it demonstrates that such serious crimes will be dealt with robustly by the courts. It should also serve as a reminder of the extreme dangers that lighting flammable liquids can cause and how fast fire can spread.”

DC Pearce added: “I also want to praise the bravery of the family for their support in the police investigation for what was such a traumatic experience.”