Hurdsfield arsonist caught on CCTV

A Macclesfield man has been jailed for 12 years after an arson attack on a block of flats in Macclesfield.

Jack Robinson, 25, of London Road, Sandbach – but previously from Macclesfield – pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to committing arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, criminal damage and one count of threatening to damage or destroy property.

His girlfriend Kayleigh Woods, 26, of Roslyn Road, Stockport, pleaded guilty to one count of assisting an offender.

Robinson had an argument with Woods in the Silk Trader Pub, on Brook Street. The following day, Robinson was seen on CCTV (video at foot of this item) at the Shell filling station at Tytherington buying a jerry can of fuel. Woods was driving and Robinson used her card to pay for the petrol.

Robinson was later captured on CCTV pouring petrol all over the doorway of the 15-storey Pennine Court Flats, Carisbrook Avenue, before setting fire to it. Despite pouring a full can of petrol on the door the fire failed to take hold and went out.

After running away he sent his Ms Woods a text message saying “you got was was cumming [sic]”.

During an interview Woods said that she helped Robinson out of “fear and love for him”.

Robinson was jailed for 12 years and Woods was handed a two year prison term suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Detective Constable Alison Shields said: “I am very pleased that this case has come to a conclusion and the sentence Robinson has received shows the gravity of his crimes.

“Macclesfield’s police teams worked on this case for days to make sure we apprehended the offender and were able to charge and remand him to protect the public.

“Arson is a very serious crime and in this case stemmed from Robinson’s bullying behaviour and attitude towards women. This was a domestic related incident. Robinson intended to cause harm to his ex-partner.

“Robinson and Woods gave no regards to the residents of the flats and their behaviour put hundreds of residents at risk. Thankfully the fire door on the building did its job and burnt out before taking hold. Had the fire spread then the consequences to all the residents could have potentially been catastrophic.”