A Newcastle man is jailed for setting his flat on fire after admitting to arson.
The neighbor looked out her window and saw smoke coming from Dixon’s flat. Scared, she left her house and called the fire department right away. Dixon also left his flat, using a phone box to report setting his flat on fire.
Police arrived at the phone box where Dixon told them to arrest him for arson. He admitted he lit his flat because of boredom. Police found oil and burnt toilet paper inside. Luckily, the fire didn’t spread widely, causing minimal damage.
The neighbor felt scared, and her young daughter got upset. Judge Moreland said it must have been very frightening to live near an arsonist. The judge noted Dixon was on cocaine at the time and that his drug and alcohol abuse fuels his crimes.
Dixon also smeared excrement around his police cell, which the judge called disgusting. Dixon, aged 56, has 164 prior convictions, including arson in 2014. He admitted to reckless arson and cell damage and received a sentence of 23 months in jail.
His lawyer said the prior arson involved his brother’s bins. She also stated Dixon struggles with problems and substance abuse.