Batley man jailed for setting his own house on fire - while his son was upstairs

Allan Wharrier, 53, was believed to have put the lives of his family and neighbours in serious danger when he started the blaze.

Wharrier, from Leeds, lived in a semi-detached house in Guiseley with his adult son and nephew.

On the evening of July 20 last year, he called his wife, who lives in the Philippines, and complained that the house was a mess.

Wharrier, who suffers from osteoporosis, had drunk almost a full bottle of wine and his son had described him as being in a bad mood.

His nephew later heard Wharrier exclaim: “You don’t care about me. All you do is go to your rooms.”

According to reports, Wharrier texted his daughter with passwords to his accounts later that evening, telling her to "end it all" and burn the house down.

He then set fire to a garbage bag next to the chair he was sitting on in the living room.

His son tried to put out the fire but it by this time it had already spread to Wharrier’s chair and acrid smoke had started to fill the house.

The accused’s daughter, who lives in Blackpool, was alerted by Wharrier’s nephew and immediately called emergency services.

The cousins left the house and Wharrier locked the door behind them.

When West Yorkshire Police arrived on the scene, they saw the living room a glowing orange - and discovered that Wharrier had started another fire, this time setting fire to a box.

Police had to drag him out of the house while Wharrier yelled: “I didn’t mean to harm anyone. I had enough.”

Firefighters eventually put out the fires and Wharrier was taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation.

He was later jailed at Leeds Crown Court.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said Wharrier’s son and nephew felt “unsafe in their own home” after the ordeal.

A neighbour of the adjacent property, who was home at the time, said he feared for his safety and that of his family.

“Several lives were at risk,” Mr Ahmed added.

When questioned by police, Wharrier accepted his actions were “reckless and stupid" but he claimed he was under “immense stress” due to his poor health and the state of the home.

He claims he had not seen his wife for more than two years because of the pandemic.

Mitigating for Wharrier, Eleanor Mitten said: “He is extremely remorseful and has absolutely no intention of repeating any of that behaviour.

“It’s against a very sad background and it was essentially a cry for help.”

Wharrier, now of Station Road, Batley, pleaded guilty to one count of arson, reckless as to whether life was in danger.

Judge Penelope Belcher told him: “You set those fires in circumstances you knew others were in the house.

“I accept that hurting others was not a genuine desire. But the point is the risk to others – and there was serious risk.”

Wharrier was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.