A man who threatened to blow up a hotel before setting his bed on fire has been jailed for almost three years.
Alan Hamilton, 48, told security at Glasgow’s Alexander Thomson Hotel that he had two gas canisters in July this year.
A corridor was soon discovered with smoke billowing and Hamilton lying unconscious next to a torched bed.
The blaze forced all 120 occupants and staff to flee from the building in the middle of the night.
Hamilton was locked up for a total of 945 days after he pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to wilful fire raising and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Prosecutor Graham Macdonald told the court an aggressive Hamilton approached the two security guards at the reception area at 11pm.
Mr Macdonald said: “He said he had two cans of gas within his room and he was going to set fire to the hotel.
“He was escorted to his room in order that the guard could check.
“Hamilton refused the guard entry swearing and shouting at him."
Hamilton then picked up a fire extinguisher and sprayed it at the guard
An alarm was later raised when a bed in his room was seen alight.
The fiscal: “Attempts were made to shout and get him out, but he was unresponsive.”
Hamilton had to be dragged out before the blaze was extinguished.
Sheriff Gerry Considine said: “You have 30 previous convictions for disorder and two for fire raising.
“You should understand once you started a fire you can lose control quickly.
“There were 120 people staying and, but for the actions of the guards, it could have been extremely serious.”
