A dangerous arsonist who started fires and threatened to kill people in Leeds General Infirmary has been given an extended sentence.
The hospital's accident and emergency department had to be evacuated after Kriss Jackson went on a rampage lasting around 15 minutes on the evening of January 21 this year.
He caused between £60,000 and £100,000 worth of damage to the hospital.
Leeds Crown Court heard he had been escorted out of the hospital earlier that day after requesting treatment.
He pleaded guilty to one count of arson with intent to endanger life, affray, two counts of assault by beating and one count of having an offensive weapon.
Today (Thursday), the 44-year-old, of Poplar Mount, Bramley, Leeds, was told he must serve two-thirds of a custodial period of six years and three months followed by a four-year extended licence period.
Jackson, who suffers from fibromyalgia, attended the hospital in pain on January 19.
He returned to the hospital two days later and refused to leave when he was told he was discharged. He was escorted from the building by security at around 3pm.
Prosecutor Alexander Menary said Jackson returned around three hours later, set a number of small fires and shouted: "Fire! Fire! Everyone get out. It's not a drill - it's real. You're all going to die - I've just started a fire."
The defendant was flicking a lighter in his hand at the time and also tried to set fire to paperwork on a desk.
The prosecutor said an elderly woman behind the desk was "frozen with fear".
The fire alarms went off and the corridors started filling with smoke.
A hospital porter tried to take the plastic from the defendant but he pushed her away.
He said: "Get out of my way or I will smash you".
Jackson then walked off saying: "I am going to set everything on fire."
He tried to set some pyjamas and gowns alight but the porter took them from him.
Mr Menary said two radiographers, who were in a room with a patient, went to see what was happening when they heard the disturbance.
Jackson shouted at them: "I have got a weapon, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to light you up."
He was then seen trying to set a notice board on fire.
The court heard a member of staff cried in fear as she rang police to report the incident.
Another staff member locked herself in a toilet as she was so scared.
A stroke patient was unable to leave a treatment room to escape the danger.
Mr Menary said Jackson entered an X-ray control room, threw equipment around and smashed equipment.
Jackson threatened to kill anyone who confronted him.
A staff member tried to enter the room and Jackson said: "If you come in I will kill you."
He picked up a screwdriver and said "I am going to stab you" before advancing towards him.
Jackson threw a chair which hit the man on the leg. The man managed to close the door to trap Jackson in the room.
A manager came with a fire extinguisher but Jackson made further stab threats to him.
He refused to drop the weapon when security staff charged at him with chairs.
Jackson was arrested when police officers arrived and used tasers to detain him.
The court heard emergency services arrived to find the hospital in a "scene of panic."
Some patients ran from the building into the car park to escape the smoke but others were unable to leave as they were immobile.
A large part of the hospital was evacuated, including patients receiving treatment who were transported to St James's University Hospital.
Mr Menary said the A&E department was closed for around two hours and ambulances had to be diverted to St James's University Hospital, but if it had been closed any longer, air ambulances would have had to be diverted to another trauma major centre.
He also said the hospital's main oxygen pipe was damaged, but not breached, and if it had ruptured it would have caused a 'catastrophic' explosion.
Jackson was interviewed by police and told officers he had been angry over the treatment he had received when he attended the hospital.
The prosecutor said: "He said he wanted somewhere to stay and a warm bed."
Jackson has 20 previous convictions for 52 offences. He was last jailed in 2003 for a burglary.
A psychiatric report stated that Jackson had emotional difficulties but does not suffer from a significant mental illness.
Stuart Field, mitigating, said Jackson was homeless and was suffering with mental health problems at the time.
He said his client had shown animosity while committing the offences, but he had started fires in an area of the hospital where patients would have been able to escape danger and described the behaviour as a one-off.
Jackson appeared in court via a video link from Armley jail in the morning but refused to leave his cell after the lunch break.
Judge Rodney Jameson QC imposed the sentence in the defendant's absence.
