Teen set family door alight in wrong house attack

Alfie Leadbitter admitted arson with intent to endanger life

A teenage arsonist, who endangered a family when he set their front door on fire after mistaking their house for a rival's, has been detained.

Alfie Leadbitter, 18, sprayed petrol on the door of the Redcar home and set it alight after his rival failed to turn up for an arranged fight, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The home belonged to a couple and their 12-year-old daughter, all of whom were asleep at the time and could have been killed, the court heard.

Leadbitter, of Rothwell Mews in Eston, admitted arson with intent to endanger life and was detained for almost four years.

The teenager booked a taxi under a fake name and covered his face when he went to a street in Redcar on the night of 24 February, Judge Richard Bennett said.

Leadbitter had arranged to fight another teenager but had taken a bottle of petrol with the intention of setting his rival's home alight if the youth did not turn up, the court heard.

At about 23:30, when the family were in bed, Leadbitter set their front door alight and ran away, the court heard.

The family, who did not know Leadbitter or his intended target, were roused by a neighbour and fortunately the fire was quickly extinguished, the judge said.

'Terrified and traumatised'

In a statement read to the court, the woman from the house said she had been "walking on egg shells" ever since the blaze after living there for more than 25 years without incident.

She said the front door was at the bottom of the stairs and therefore their main means of escape in a fire.

Leadbitter's actions were "appalling" and put her family's lives "in jeopardy", the victim said.

Judge Bennett said Leadbitter had gone "intent on revenge" and "got the wrong house", adding his actions left the family "terrified and traumatised".

The judge said Leadbitter had told probation officers he felt "terrible" about setting the wrong home alight but it was "worrying" he had not shown remorse for using fire in the first place.

Leadbitter was sentenced to 45 months detention in a young offenders institution.