A man suffering with mental health issues during lockdown attempted to take his own life by setting fire to his flat.
Percy Pwanyire, 23, began a number of fires on February 15 at his Cardiff home which formed one of four flats in a block. Friends had become concerned after he began behaving erratically and sent messages and videos which indicated he was going to make an attempt on his own life days before committing arson.
As a result of the fires, significant smoke damage was caused to the housing association owned flat in St Mellons with a repair bill of £11,989.
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A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard Pwanyire's friends had noticed his mental health had deteriorated and he had little contact with others during the Covid lockdown.
Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said two of the defendant's friends received messages on February 14 which included a video of the defendant inside his flat with a large number of tablets and toxic liquids. When friends attended his flat Pwanyire acted as if nothing happened.
On February 15 the friends received an Instagram message from the defendant which read: "I swear down, I am going to burn this down within an hour. Probably the whole block will burn down. S*** about to go down. Burn this place and die."
A video was also included in the message which showed Pwanyire walking round his flat and showed he had deliberately removed the fire alarm.
Mr Bennet said: "It seems thereafter the defendant must have set about using some kind of liquid to set fire to the flat... Inside the flat was black smoke damage and the seat of the fire involving clothing. In any view it was a concerted effort to burn the flat down and cause a serious amount of damage."
At around midday a nearby resident saw black smoke coming from the windows and door of the flat and pushed open the door with a stick before calling out but she had no response. She also knocked on the doors of the other flats in the block but no other residents were in at the time except for a dog in an upper-floor flat.
The emergency services were called at 12.20pm and a fire investigation concluded the first had been started deliberately with separate fires started in the living room, bathroom, and bedroom. Without intervention the fire could have easily spread to the other three flats in the block.
Pwanyire was not present in the flat when the emergency services arrived but he attended a friend's house in Risca later that evening having walked from St Mellons. He told the friend's mother he wanted to kill himself and had started a fire but had not intended to harm anyone else.
These pictures show the scale of the damage:
He said he was concerned about going to prison but the mother told him she would call the police and he agreed. He was later arrested but gave no comment in interview.
Pwanyire, of Coleford Drive, later pleaded guilty to arson.
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In mitigation defence barrister Jenny Yeo said it was apparent to her client's friends he was having difficulties with his mental health. She added: "Referrals didn't happen when they should have happened."
Since being remanded in custody Ms Yeo said the defendant's condition had improved and he was now feeling a lot better.
Sentencing, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: "An offence of arson, especially at a form of accommodation, is a very serious matter and in other circumstances may have led to a very long prison sentence.
"You were intending to take your own life. Your mental health was a cause of obvious concern... Those who knew you and saw you knew you were in a bad way and everyone agreed you needed help but no help was found for you."
Pwanyire was sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment.
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