Man set fire to his flat then sat down to watch TV, drink cider and snort cocaine
Man set fire to his flat then sat down to watch TV, drink cider and snort cocaine
A police officer entered the burning building to help an elderly resident to safety
Nicholas Ronan
(Image: South Wales Police )
A man started a fire in his flat then sat down in the living room to watch television, drink cider and snort cocaine, a court has heard. Nicholas Ronan started the blaze knowing there were other residents in the block, including an elderly woman with serious mobility issues.
Swansea Crown Court heard Ronan was shouting about "ghosts" in the property, and he threatened to attack emergency workers who approached him. The defendant's barrister said his client had been taking a "cocktail" of prescription medication, illicit substances and alcohol at the time of the incident but was now abstinent in custody and was "disgusted" at his behaviour.
Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, told the court that on the morning of December 9 last year a member of the public was walking along Parry Road in Port Talbot when he heard a smashing noise and saw a dumbbell come flying out of a ground floor window of a two-storey block of flats. She said a woman then ran out of the flats shouting "He has lit a fire!"
The court heard the passer-by approached the broken window and court could feel heat radiating from inside. In the room the man saw Nicholas Ronan sitting down watching TV, drinking a can of Strongbow, and snorting what appeared to be cocaine.
The man shouted for Ronan to get out, and the defendant replied: "The ghosts are going to get me". For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter
The court heard another residents of the block had already called 999 to report the fire and to tell emergency services that there was an elderly bed-bound woman and her carer in the flats who could not get out.
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Police were soon on the scene and an officer entered the block to help the woman and her carer to safety. Firefighters then arrived and put out the flat fire.
The prosecutor said by now Ronan was sitting on a nearby wall holding a dumbbell and talking about "black ghosts" in the property.
The defendant was approached by a firefighter and threatened to "smash" the officer if he came any closer. When a policeman approached him the defendant threw the dumbbell in his direction and threatened to rip his head off.
He then told the firefighter that he started the fire with curtains.
The 42-year-old defendant was arrested and in his interview said he had been cold after taking a shower so lit a fire. He then asked if the "old lady" was alright. Read about a man who torched a car in a revenge attack but was caught because of the 'distinctive' way he walks
The court heard that an investigation into the fire concluded there had been three separates seats of fire - behind then front door, in the kitchen, and on a chair in the living room.
The cost of making-good the fire damage to the Tai Tarian housing association property was put at £60,000. The court heard the bathroom of the defendant's flat was also found to be badly damaged but that was unconnected to the fire.
Nicholas Daniel Ronan, of Parry Road, Port Talbot, had previously pleaded guilty to arson and to affray and possession of an offensive weapon - the latter charges relate to his conduct towards fire and police officers at the scene - when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has seven previous convictions for seven offences including public disorder, thefts, and a sexual offence.
James McKenna, for Ronan, said given the "bizarre set of circumstances" in the case the defence felt it necessary to request a psychiatric report to assist the court.
He said at the time of the incident the defendant had been taking a "cocktail" of prescription medication, illicit substances and alcohol but a period of abstinence in custody had enabled him to reflect on his behaviour and he feels "disgusted" at what he did.
He added that Ronan wants to relocate to Swansea or Cardiff after serving his sentence and wants to "remove himself from a peer group which misuses drink and drugs".
Judge Paul Thomas KC told Ronan he had set no fewer than three fires in his flat knowing other residents were in the building including a bed-bound woman. He said apart from the £60,000 worth of damage to the flat which others would have to pay to put right, Ronan had caused "incalculable" distress to his fellow residents.
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The judge said he had read the pre-sentence report and the psychiatric reports in the case and he said he was satisfied Ronan had been fit to enter his pleas and remains fit to be sentenced.
With discounts for his guilty pleas Ronan was sentenced to four years and four months in prison comprising four years for the arson and four months for the affray and weapon offences to run consecutively. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
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