A Kirkby man who admitted setting a telephone mast on fire has been warned he faces a prison sentence.
Michael Whitty pleaded guilty to arson over the telecommunications mast blaze which happened in Kirkby last month at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, May 18.
Emergency services were called to Coopers Lane at 9.45pm on Sunday, April 5 following reports the Vodafone telephone mast was on fire.
Fire crews managed to get the blaze under control before Merseyside Police launched a joint criminal investigation into the incident.
Nobody was injured, but damage was caused to the structure of the mast.
There have been multiple attacks on phone masts across the country, with many believed to be linked to false claims the 5G network is spreading coronavirus.
Scientists and other officials, including the WHO, have debunked the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory, stating it is not possible for the virus to be transmitted by electomagnetic radiation.
47-year-old Whitty, of Perimeter Road in Kirkby, appeared in court via videolink from HMP Altcourse.
Andrew Alty, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared to provide further details of what Whitty said were his reasons for committing the offence.
He said: "There is more of an explanation behind this that he would like to give."
The court heard material from the defendant's mobile phone was being assessed by the prosecution.
Judge Andrew Menary QC adjourned the case until June 8.
He told Whitty: "You must recognise that it is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence in this case."
