(Image: The Northern Echo)
A spice-smoking prisoner caused almost £2.5k of damage and put his cellmate's life at risk when he set a fire in the room, a court heard.
Officers found the HMP Durham cell filled with smoke after an alarm went off at 6.45am on February 27 last year.
Durham Crown Court heard Owen Richards was found pacing around while his cellmate slept on his bunk.
Asked who started the fire, Richards replied: “Me” and added: “I want to die”.
Officers rescued both inmates and put out the fire.
Prosecutor Graham O’Sullivan said the fire damaged bedding, a mattress, TV, kettle, a cell phone, observation panel and door frame. The bill for the damage was estimated at £2,452.
During his subsequent interview, Richards chose not to answer any questions.
The court heard he was on remand at the prison at the time and later served a short sentence for assault.
Having been charged over the fire, Richards failed to attend court in February this year, so a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
It was not executed until last month, when Richards appeared in court and admitted arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and failing to answer bail.
The court heard Richards has six previous convictions, including several for violent offences.
Gurjot Kaur, for Richards, said the defendant told the prison officer he wanted to die but accepted in doing so he also put his cellmate at risk as, “collateral damage”.
She said Richards did not intend to harm his cellmate but accepted he had not thought about the risk.
“He was smoking ‘spice’ at the time and accepts it was an impulsive act.”
Miss Kaur said Richards, of West Court, Blyth, Northumberland, was aged 19 at the time and is now 21, but remains immature.
She said the defendant began using cannabis from a young age and moved on to cocaine shortly afterwards but has witnessed some traumatic experiences.
Miss Kaur said Richards had been in custody since early September and was working to improve himself with help from the prison's mental health team.
He also attended the prison chapel, where he has found it easier to express his emotions.
Judge Aisha Wadoodi said the case's delay through the court system was purely down to Richards' failure to attend in February.
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Relating to the incident, itself, she said the fact no-one was injured was only because of the “swift thinking” of the prison officers who attended the cell that morning.
The judge said Richards’ mental health problems appeared to have been worsened by his misuse of drugs.
She sentenced Richards to 28 months in prison, saying he would have received three years but for his guilty plea.