Man who laughed and took selfies as fire crews battled blaze he started at his flat jailed

A man who took selfies and laughed as fire crews fought to contain a blaze he started at his flat has been jailed for four years.

Freddie Pritchard, 29, lit a cigarette on his bed along with aerosol canisters and vapes before leaving the room at the property in Ayr’s Main Street.

A high court judge heard how three other flats and commercial units below the accommodation had to be evacuated as thick smoke billowed from the building.

Pritchard initially claimed the blaze on May 27 this year had been caused by a faulty phone charger.

But, the 29 year-old – a convicted sex offender – pleaded guilty to wilful-fire-raising – when he appeared in the dock of the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year.

Judge Lord Young deferred sentence on Pritchard to obtain a report on his background.

On Tuesday, the case called at the High Court in Edinburgh and Pritchard – who observed proceedings via video link – was told he was being given a custodial term for his crime.

The court heard how he had a conviction for an “analogous” offence from 2014.

Passing sentence, Lord Young called Pritchard an “immature” and “reckless” man.

He added: “You took no steps to inform other residents of the fire. Whilst the fire service was dealing with the consequences of your actions, you were seen laughing and joking.

“You show no real insight into your own actions. You are now 29 and you have not grown out of your criminal conduct – you have a short but concerning criminal record.

“The charge to which you have pleaded guilty to is such that the imposition of a substantial custodial sentence is inevitable.”

At previous proceedings, the court heard how Pritchard had been living at the council-flat in Main Street, Ayr having been freed from prison on March 1 2024.

The court heard how another resident at the block of flats where Pritchard was staying returned home shortly after the blaze was started.

He initially heard an alarm in Pritchard’s home before, around ten minutes later, noticing flames and a large plume of black smoke emerging from the flat below into his.

The neighbour was in a “panic” and feared he would not be able to get his cats out in time.

Firefighters then arrived and the man with his pets were helped out the smoke-filled building.

Prosecutor Brian Gill KC said Pritchard had taken “no action” to alert his neighbours to what had happened.

The court heard a total of ten fire officers took two hours to quell the blaze.

Pritchard stood out in the street with one of the other tenants at the time.

He claimed he had come home from hospital and that his phone charger had “caught fire”.

Mr Gill told the hearing: “While he was waiting in the street, Pritchard was acting in a light-hearted manner.

“He was taking selfies and photos of the fire engines. He was phoning friends as well as laughing and joking.”

A probe later concluded the fire was deliberate.

The court heard how in the days following the incident, Pritchard admitted to witnesses he had used a cigarette to start the blaze, but had “not expected it to take hold the way it had”.

He claimed his aim was either to be charged or to return home to live with his parents.

South Ayrshire Council estimated the repair bill to be between £25,000-£30,000.

No one was hurt in the blaze.

Lord Young remanded Pritchard in custody.

On Tuesday, defence advocate Lorenzo Alonzi told Lord Young that his client had mental health problems.

Mr Alonzi added: “There is a background of mental health issues and he is under the care of a psychologist.

“He has a learning disability – there is a diagnosis of ADHD.

“He is not in my submission a bad person. He is failing to cope.”

Lord Young told Pritchard that if he hadn’t pleaded guilty, he would have been given a prison term of six years.