Man who set fire to campervan in Stamford sentenced to hospital order

A man who deliberately set fire to a £8,000 campervan in Stamford was sentenced to a hospital order by a judge.

Residents in Sargent's Court were woken by a "loud bang" after Kieran Walker, 33, carried out the arson during the early hours of April 17.

The owner of the Mazda Bongo saw flames coming from his vehicle at around 4am after he heard a "loud pop" followed by the "loud bang" and looked out of a window of his home.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the campervan was almost destroyed by the blaze and a second car belonging to another resident was also badly melted.

Fire officers were quickly on the scene after other residents were woken by the explosion.

During police interview Mr Walker admitted starting the blaze by placing a toilet roll on the front grill of the campervan and then setting it alight.

In his interview, Mr Walker said he had become frustrated and started the fire after leaving his then home in Sargent's Court.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of arson on April 17 this year.

In a victim impact statement the owner of the campervan explained he used the vehicle for both transport and holidays.

The court heard Walker was jailed for 16 months in May 2022 after he admitted three charges of arson on cars carried out in the same manner.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist, Christopher Green, told the court Mr Walker suffered from a learning disability and mental illness, and had a history of setting fires since the age of five.

He urged the court to make a hospital order for an unrestricted period.

Jon Dee, mitigating, said it was clear Mr Walker's mental health was behind his offending.

Mr Dee told the court Mr Walker had found his previous prison sentence very difficult and came under the influence of more sophisticated criminals when he was released into supported accommodation.

This led to him abusing alcohol and falling behind in his medication, the court was told.

"He needs a secure facility where he can take his medication," Mr Dee urged.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said she was satisfied a restricted hospital order should be made on Mr Walker both for his treatment and to protect the public.

He will be treated at a psychiatric hospital in Nottingham.