A man stormed into a club, shouting “No one gives a shit about me” and doused a pool table and a barmaid with gasoline.
Mark Smith drunkenly tried to set the place on fire after reacting angrily to a joke, but was fortunately overpowered by other customers. He later told police he had “lost his head.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that Donna Benyon was working at the Parr Conservative and Working Men’s Club in St Helens on the evening of November 22 last year when the defendant, who she had known for about 17 years, walked in at around 9pm . She recalled serving him three to four brandies and cokes over the course of the night before he came back to the bar shortly after 11pm and asked for another drink.
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Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, described how the employee jokingly said she had already given final orders. But Smith, of McCormack Avenue in St Helens, replied: “F*** you.”
The 53-year-old then left the area with “Bye”. Then, just before midnight, “the doors at the entrance flew open” and he came back in with a green gas can and shouted, “Nobody fucks with me.”
Smith began pouring the accelerant over a pool table, at which point Ms Benyon ran towards him to take the fuel from him. He responded by swinging the container at her, causing her to push him to the ground in response.
At this point there were about seven customers left, several intervened and were able to escort him out of the premises. Ms Benyon, meanwhile, remained behind with her feet, legs and arms covered in petrol and she stood in a puddle of the liquid.
In a statement read out to the court on her behalf, the mother said she “could have died” and had since suffered hair loss and a flare-up of her psoriasis. She added: “I have known Mark for many years and never thought he would do something like this. He was clearly trying to kill me. I never want to see him again.”
Smith was arrested that same night after calling the police himself. He told investigators he “lost his head” and bought the fuel at a gas station because he wanted to “hit the club where it would hurt them by setting fire to the snooker tables.”
His criminal record shows five previous convictions for five crimes between 1986 and 2003. Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court: “The defendant is aware of the impact this has had on Ms Benyon and he apologizes through me.”
“For 20 years this man hasn’t caused anyone any trouble. He struggled with alcohol and depression. When sober, he is gentle, polite and courteous. That night he committed a very serious crime while drinking alcohol.” .
“He had a lot of time to think about his behavior. He’s alcohol free now.”
“He hopes to be alcohol-free when he is released. After his mother’s death, he seems to have returned to this maladaptive practice of drinking alcohol. It will be his first prison sentence. One hopes it will be a salutary lesson for him.”
Smith admitted the attempted arson was reckless endangering life, causing bodily harm and causing damage to property. Appearing via video link at HMP Altcourse, he was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison – of which he must serve at least two-thirds – and given a further three years’ license and a life restraining order.
Passing sentence, Judge Ian Harris said: “The facts of this offense are clear and appalling. You were denied service and that upset you. “You admitted that you planned to set the snooker table on fire and that it could have injured people or worse.” You felt that Ms. Benyon had humiliated you.
“You described what you did as a moment of madness and red mist. You were subdued before you could continue your deliberate and deceptive attempt to commit arson.”
“The consequences, as you know, could have been catastrophic – both in terms of property damage and danger to life. It goes without saying that a fire is completely uncontrollable, especially due to the spread of gasoline.”
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