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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Charlie Duffield

Dad set fire to own home with son and nephew inside after complaining about mess

A man set his own house on fire with his son and nephew upstairs - after he complained that it looked like a mess.

When he started the blaze, Allan Wharrier, 53, was believed to have put the lives of his family and neighbours in serious danger.

Wharrier, from Leeds, lived in a semi-detached house in Guiseley, West

Yorkshire

, alongside his adult son and nephew.

Last year, on the evening of July 20, he called his wife, who is based in the Philippines, and complained that his house was a mess.

Wharrier experiences osteoporosis, and had guzzled nearly a full bottle of wine.

At the time, his son said he was in a bad mood, and later on his nephew overheard Wharrier exclaim: "You don't care about me. All you do is go to your rooms."

Later that evening, according to reports, Wharrier texted his daughter with passwords to his accounts, telling her to "end it all" and burn the house down.

He then set fire to a garbage bag next to the chair he was sitting on in the living room.

Firefighters eventually put out the fires and Wharrier was taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation, before being jailed at Leeds Crown Court (BPM MEDIA)

Despite his son's best efforts to put out the fire, it had already spread to Wharrier's chair, and acrid smoke filled the house.

The accused's daughter, who lives in Blackpool, was alerted by Wharrier's nephew and immediately called emergency services.

The cousins left the house and Wharrier locked the door behind them.

When West Yorkshire Police arrived on the scene, they saw the living room was a glowing orange - and discovered that Wharrier had started another fire, this time setting fire to a box.

Police had to drag him out of the house whilst Wharrier yelled: "I didn't mean to harm anyone. I had enough."

Alan Wharrier set his own house on fire with his son and nephew upstairs after complaining it was a mess (West Yorks Police / SWNS)

Eventually firefights extinguished the flames, and Wharrier was driven to hospital having experienced smoke inhalation.

He was later jailed at Leeds Crown Court.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said Wharrier's son and nephew felt "unsafe in their own home" after the ordeal.

A neighbour of the adjacent property, who was home at the time, said he feared for his safety and that of his family.

Mr Ahmed added: "Several lives were at risk".

When questioned by police, Wharrier accepted his actions were "reckless and stupid" but he claimed he was under "immense stress" due to his poor health and the state of the home.

He claims he had not seen his wife for more than two years because of the pandemic.

Mitigating for Wharrier, Eleanor Mitten said: "He is extremely remorseful and has absolutely no intention of repeating any of that behaviour.

"It's against a very sad background and it was essentially a cry for help."

Wharrier, now of Station Road, Batley, pleaded guilty to one count of arson, reckless as to whether life was in danger.

Judge Penelope Belcher told him: "You set those fires in circumstances you knew others were in the house.

"I accept that hurting others was not a genuine desire. But the point is the risk to others - and there was serious risk."

Wharrier was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.

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