Arsonist jailed for £1.4m damage to former mansion

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Woodbourne Road in August 2023

A man who set fire to a mansion house, sexually assaulted a child and stole underwear from homes has been jailed.

Peter Corteen, 19, deliberately set fire Africa House in Douglas causing £1.4m of damage to the vacant property in August 2023.

Douglas Courthouse heard he had sent a video message of himself at the site to a friend shortly before the blaze was reported by a passer-by.

Corteen was jailed for three years and two months and given a two-year extended licence period.

The court heard the 19-year-old had deliberately set fire to the property on Woodbourne Road, which was the former home of the late disgraced millionaire Trevor Baines, with a cigarette on 11 August 2023.

The blaze was reported to the emergency services at about 18:00 BST by a passer-by who saw smoke coming from the vacant home.

Prosecutors said the site had become a "hotspot" for anti-social behaviour and it was originally feared Corteen could still be inside when firefighters arrived at the scene.

But police found out he was by that time travelling on a bus back to Ramsey.

Although he initially denied involvement, he later accepted he had started the fire deliberately with a cigarette.

'Remain a danger'

The court heard that in April the following year he stole various items of women's and children's underwear from washing lines and outhouses.

He later admitted two charges of theft and four of burglary.

The court heard he had also pleaded guilty to indecent assault and having sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16 in 2023.

Jailing him, Deemster Graeme Cook said if he had been older he would have been handed a longer sentence.

However, the deemster said he was satisfied "you remain a danger to the public".

The 19-year-old was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, and handed a sexual harm prevention order banning him from having contact with children and restricting his access to devices that can connect to the internet.