Man sentenced for setting fire to his flat in Oswestry
A man has been sentenced to two-years in prison after setting fire to his Oswestry flat.
John Rowlands, of Matthew Henry Court in Whitchurch, was sentenced on Friday 7 February after he previously pled guilty to arson in October 2024.
The 47-year-old started the fire in the bedroom of his ground floor flat on Unicorn Road in Oswestry in on March 3, 2022.
The fire service responded and were able to get the fire under control, meaning it did not spread to other residencies in the building.
Rowlands was quickly arrested at the scene and later charged with arson. He was given a two year and two month custodial sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
Detective Constable Geoff Anslow, of Shropshire's Reactive CID, said: “Rowlands’ actions were reckless, dangerous and frankly idiotic. He deliberately started a fire inside a ground-floor apartment and then walked away, showing absolutely no regard for the safety of other members of the public.
“Rowlands is now a convicted arsonist and will spend a period in custody.
“I would like to thank our colleagues at Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service for their swift response on the night in question, and also the residents of Unicorn Road for their support and assistance during what was a complex investigation.”
