Man threatened woman with 'body bag' before starting fire at her home

A man told a woman that a body bag would be needed before starting a fire at her home.

Colin Forbes sent a number of threatening messages to the woman before arriving at the property with a jerry can of petrol and sparking a blaze.

Forbes, 52, appeared calm as he left the scene of the fire in Aberdeen, and later claimed to police that a friend phoned him and told him the house was petrol bombed.

He admitted wilfully setting fire to the front door of the house in the Mastrick area of the city on March 16 last year, causing damage after previously showing malice and ill will towards the victim.

Forbes, of Aberdeen, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing following his guilty plea after a judge rejected a motion to continue his bail at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Advocate depute Brian Gill KC told the court that Forbes and the woman were previously in a relationship, but she ended it.

He had then sent her messages claiming he had been made a fool of and telling her to check her house insurance. In one, he wrote: “Body bag for one needed. Not me.”

He then drove to a petrol station and was caught on CCTV filling a can with petrol before starting the fire at the house. He walked back to a car, wiping his hands afterwards, and one neighbour who saw him said he appeared calm.

Firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze and checked that no one was present in the property at the time.

Forbes was detained by police after the fire and told officers that he knew what it would be about and that a friend had called him to say the house had been petrol bombed.

Forbes, who has been on bail since March last year, sought to remain on bail ahead of sentencing next month, but the judge, Lord Stuart, remanded him in custody.

Lord Stuart said: “In light of the gravity of the offence, I am not prepared to continue bail.”

Sentencing was adjourned until June 24 at the High Court in Stirling for the preparation of a background report.