An Edinburgh pet owner set fire to his own house while seven dogs were inside during a welfare visit from the SSPCA.
After inspectors from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals showed up at his Pilton flat, John Malcolm started a blaze inside.
The 52-year-old told inspectors, “I’m going to do something now.” before disappearing back into the home.
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Firefighters raced to the scene after smoke was seen billowing from the property and both Malcolm and the seven dogs were rescued, reports the Daily Record.
Malcolm appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday where he pled guilty to a charge of wilful fire-raising on September 18, 2020.
Malcolm admitted to setting domestic waste alight which caused a fire that endangered the safety and lives of himself, firefighters, other residents in his block of flats, and his dogs.
Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren told how Malcolm had locked himself in his home after SSPCA inspectors attempted to perform welfare checks on his animals at around 3 pm.
The SSPCA then contacted the police as they were “concerned” about Malcolm.
Ms McLaren added that shortly after the inspectors dialed 999 and asked for the fire service asmoke began “billowing” from the home.
Firefighters arrived at the scene “almost immediately” and battled a “large amount of smoke”.
The fire was started in the living room at the rear, she added, and the firefighters managed to extinguish it.
Malcolm was found in the kitchen and later taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as a “precaution”.
Malcolm’s defense agent Ms Lech told the court how he had been struggling with the death his partner and had been drinking to “mask the pain”
She said that he had no recollection of the incident and had moved into the city’s Leith area, after being in a “bad place”
She acknowledged that although his actions were “appalling” that he had been suffering poor health.
Sheriff Nigel Ross deferred sentence until next month for reports.
