Police release picture of a South Yorkshire arsonist who set fire to florist shop and dance studio
and live on Freeview channel 276
Sheffield Crown Court heard on January 13 how Danny White, aged 59, of Chantry Place, Kimberworth, Rotherham, initially set a smaller fire outside Adams Cafe, on Laughton Road, Dinnington, before torching the nearby Limelands Florist and its connected dance studio on the same road.
Judge Rachael Harrison told White: “By setting such fires you put at risk a number of potential people. Those inside and those members of the Emergency Services who risked their lives to deal with the fire.
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Hide Ad"You were under the influence of alcohol and you have no recollection as to what you did and you were clearly reckless as to whether life would be endangered and you set both these fires in a short period of time.”
Craig Lowe, prosecuting, said a member of the public called the emergency services after the fire erupted in the early hours of April 20, 2019, at the florist’s after it had been started under an outside canopy and spread up the front of the building.
Mr Lowe added the fire had been started deliberately by White placng a naked flame on paper or rubbish and it spread to plastic box trays and up the building causing between £180,000 and £225,000 of estimated damage.
White had also started a smaller fire at Adams Cafe by similarly placing a flame to paper or rubbish which set fire to the wall of this building and a sign but the damage required only £200 to repair.
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Hide AdThe owner of Limelands Florist and the dance studio stated the building was built by his parents and has sentimental value and he has since suffered a great deal of stress and has had to increase his blood pressure medicine.
He stated he has lost an estimated £18,500 in rent and has been left breathless and has had to stop doing other work and he cannot play golf anymore.
White, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Joy Merriam, defending, said: “These offences were at a time when his life had completely spiralled out of control.”
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Hide AdShe added White’s brother was dying and the defendant started sleeping rough and he became ill and had to go into hospital and he returned to a homeless lifestyle.
Ms Merriam said it was a “catastrophic time” in his life and he had been under the influence of alcohol and he cannot remember what happened but he has expressed remorse.
Judge Harrison told White: “The damage was so extensive the roof had collapsed. You set fire to something under the canopy – caught on CCTV. You had already set fire to a rubbish bin outside a cafe.”
She sentenced White to 30 months of custody.
