A gang stopped off at McDonald's before torching a man's home over a drug debt.
Jordan McMullen-McCourt, 25, Jamie Chesterton 29, and Callum Miller, 22, from St Helens and Haydock all appeared in Caernarfon Crown Court after they travelled to North Wales in a stolen car on April 29.
The gang bought a canister and filled it with unleaded petrol before going for food at McDonalds. They then left the petrol as an accelerant by the front door of the house of multiple occupancy in Wales before fleeing. The man they had targeted, Darren Fleming, lived in the middle floor, with other tenants on the ground floor and second floor, NorthWalesLive reports.
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Prosecutor Oliver King said the victim had met McMullen-McCourt in prison and they had become friends. But the friendship soured when the victim owed money for drugs.
At 8.30pm on April 29 McMullen-McCourt went to Mr Fleming's flat demanding immediate payment and threatening to burn his partner's house down. He then left. Mr Fleming rushed to that property, but then got a message from a friend to return as his own flat was engulfed in flames.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard a witness saw three men near an alley by the flat at 9pm. He saw two of them get out of a silver car, go away and come back smelling of petrol. One threw a container onto the railway tracks and they drove away.
The prosecutor said the witness then saw a woman on the roof, "screaming and holding on for dear life" as the building burned. Rescuers helped her crawl to safety.
The court also heard that Kevin Jones, a fire scene investigator, said the building was so badly damaged it wasn't safe to stand on the floorboards. The building sustained damage worth £168,815.24.
Meanwhile, police traced the stolen car and saw all three defendants clearly on CCTV footage from a Jet garage in Llandudno. Other officers were alerted and the Kia was seen on the A494 in Deeside.
A police car ordered the Kia driver to stop but it veered towards Ellesmere Port. The chase reached speeds of over 120mph, with the police car reaching 125mph, near Runcorn.
It passed cones and then went back onto Weston Point Expressway before ploughing into the cones. Two men got out and were caught. One was arrested later.
The prosecutor Mr King said: "This was clearly a revenge attack given the drugs debt seeking to be recovered by McMullen-McCourt."
The three men all admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. McMullen-McCourt also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.
The judge His Honour Timothy Petts said McMullen-McCourt, of Chadwick Road, St Helens, had been the "prime mover". His driving had been "incredibly dangerous" which could have had "horrendous and calamitous results...killing or injuring many people".
He jailed him for six years for arson and six months consecutively for dangerous driving. He also disqualified him from driving for six years and three months and until he passes an extended retest.
He sent Miller, also of Chadwick Road, St Helens, and Chesterton, of Maple Avenue, Haydock, to prison for five years and three months each.
Speaking after sentencing, Investigating Officer DC Natalie Horgan-Jones said: "This was an extremely dangerous crime which could have resulted in tragic circumstances. I welcome today's sentences, and hope this serves as a reminder that we will pursue those who seek to bring harm to our communities.
"We remain committed to making north Wales the safest place in the UK."
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