A teenage arsonist told police "as soon as you mentioned KFC, I knew what you were on about" after he was arrested for setting fire to a drive-thru chicken shop.
James Haselden started the blaze at the fast fast giant's branch in Kirkby in the early hours after being "egged on" by his friends. It came after he was part of two gang robberies which saw convenience stores targeted by masked raiders brandishing weapons.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, a shop assistant was working alone at the Go Local shop on Waddicar Lane in Melling at around 5pm on August 21 2020 when the now 19-year-old entered. David Watson prosecuting, described how Hazeldene bought an energy drink and left but returned less than 10 minutes later with co-defendant Liam Whitley.
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Both were wearing dark clothing with their hoods up and had face masks on. Whitley remained in the doorway, blocking it to prevent anyone else entering, while Hazelden went to the alcohol section and picked up a crate of Sol lager.
The staff member approached the then 17-year-old boy and asked him if he had an identification to purchase the booze. The teen, of Field Lane in Fazakerley, responded by lifting up his jacket and showing him a hammer which was hidden in the waistband of his trousers.
Hazelden then grabbed hold of the weapon and held it at chest height. He and 21-year-old Whitley, of Stanley Street in Liverpool city centre, then ran away - taking the £12 of beer with them.
Shortly before 6.30pm the same day, Hazelden was part of a second robbery at Dillons Food and Wine on Warbreck Moor in Aintree. A male entered and did a lap of shop before leaving shortly afterwards, but moments later smashed a glass panel in the front door with a hammer.
Three assailants then entered, with the unidentified armed offender shouting "open the till". The member of staff on duty refused, and he responded by smashing a crate of alcohol stacked near the counter with the hammer.
Haselden was seen pulling items off the shelves and throwing them to the floor during the incident. The "panicked" employee activated the electric shutters hoping that the attackers would leave.
He then ran out of the rear exit pursued by two of the assailants, who fled with around 10 packets of cigarettes and left the store "trashed". Hazelden was subsequently arrested following a media appeal, but was later released under investigation.
Then, shortly before 2am on December 15 2021, police received reports of concerning behaviour by three youths in the Kirkby area. Officers attended the area and spoke to a trio of teens who were "allowed to go on their way" as they were not believed to have committed any offences.
Hazelden was one of them, and had been wearing a "distinctive" red jacket. At around 3.30am, Merseyside Police were called out again after a cyclist was seen throwing a burning item onto the roof of KFC on Irlam Drive.
A small fire was started and had to be extinguished by firefighters, causing more than £500 of damage. CCTV footage showed a male wearing the same jacket throwing a lit cardboard tube at the eatery.
When Hazelden was eventually arrested on March 13 last year, he replied "as soon as you mentioned KFC, I knew what you were on about". After being transported to a police station, he further confessed: "I did it, I need to take responsibility."
A small quantity of cannabis was also found in his coat pocket. Under interview, Hazelden said he "had been egged on by others and had fallen in with the wrong crowd" - adding that he "didn’t know why he had committed the offence and didn’t think the roof would catch fire".
A fourth incident concerning the teenager was reported at around 9.45pm on March 6 2022 after he punched and smashed a window at his step dad's home on Quarryside Drive in Kirkby. This came after he was kicked out of the address due to a smell of cannabis emanating from his bedroom.
Hazelden was previously handed a youth referral order in 2019 for battery, criminal damage and assaulting an emergency services worker. Nicola Daley, defending, told the court: "He has extricated himself from previous associates, which is important and to his credit.
"He is living with his mother. His mother wishes to help him further by moving out of Liverpool into the countryside, away from Liverpool and the north west."
Whitley has a total of seven previous convictions, all for possession of cannabis. Defence counsel Peter White said of the dad-of-two: "He is a young man who is struggling.
"He has made some progress in his life since the commission of this offence. He is trying to make something of his life.
"He does want to be a positive influence and be there for his children. This is a young man who was living something of a haphazard lifestyle."
Haselden admitted two counts of robbery, arson, criminal damage and possession of cannabis. He was jailed for 28 months by Judge Stuart Driver KC.
Whitley pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and was handed an 18-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 70 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Both were handed restraining orders, preventing them from entering the shops targeted for five years.
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