A bungling thug required plastic surgery after setting himself alight during a firebomb attack on three businesses.
Alexander Bill, 35, caused £18,000 worth of damage to a building in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, which is occupied by a beauty salon, skin clinic and clothes shop.
CCTV caught Bill and another hooded figure approaching the property with a plastic jerry can in the early hours before pouring liquid through a letterbox.
Video footage showed the moment the liquid ignited sending a huge fireball into the air, the Daily Record reports.
Construction worker Bill and his accomplice fled the scene with their clothes on fire.
Emergency services raced to the blaze and a police dog handler found Bill, of Hamilton, cowering in nearby waste ground in May last year.
His hands were covered in blood and his clothes badly scorched around the groin area.
He was treated in hospital for burns to his face and hands and required skin grafts and plastic surgery.
Bill, of Newton Mearns, Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted wilful fire-raising.
Depute fiscal Jennifer Cunningham said: "A security guard working at Douglas Park garage heard a loud banging noise and looked out across to the locus and observed two males standing beside the locus.
"He noted one appeared to be in possession of a plastic jerry can and the accused looked to be pouring something through the front door.
"Within a matter of seconds a fire broke out and appeared to ignite both males.
"The witness thereafter phoned the police and observed both males make off on fire.
"Police on patrol noted a male climbing over a fence into waste ground. They also noted a letter and trainer lying at the entrance.
"A dog handler was called in and identified an area of undergrowth and the accused appeared.
"He was noted to have bloodied hands, his clothing scorched around the groin area and was missing a trainer."
The prosecutor added: "The cost of the damage caused by the fire was £18,000.
"The premises that was damaged the most was the beauty salon who rent the property from another male but they have no connection to the accused."
John Kilcoyne, defending, said: "Just before May 2020 he had split up with his partner and fell into the wrong crowd and was offered a small sum of money to do this.
"He also fell into drink and drugs and to pluck up the courage to do this he consumed alcohol and then set himself on fire at the locus.
"He knows this is a serious matter."
Sheriff John Speir deferred sentence on Bill until January and continued his bail.
He added: "You should be under no illusion that this sort of offending could ordinarily attract a custodial sentence.
"Fire-raising is a serious matter."
