Andrew Main detained for Oxfordshire arson attacks

Andrew Main (right) pleaded guilty to four counts of arson at a previous hearing

A man will be detained in a mental health unit after setting a series of fires across Oxfordshire.

Andrew Main admitted setting fires that caused major damage at South Oxfordshire District Council's office, an undertakers and a thatched cottage.

The 47-year-old, of Rokemarsh, pleaded not guilty to a further charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

The prosecution decided not to proceed to trial with the charge at Oxford Crown Court, and it will lie on file.

The estimated cost to the council of repairing damage from the fires on 15 January was about £20m, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Pringle said: "We will never know why you picked on the targets you did, but we will always know that the consequences were utterly, utterly devastating."

At their peak, 27 crews tackled fires in Rokemarsh and Crowmarsh Gifford, which were started within 10 minutes of each other shortly after 03:00 GMT. No-one was hurt.

In the first blaze, Jean Gladstone, 80, escaped from her thatched cottage on Quakers Corner in Rokemarsh.

Minutes later, a second fire was reported at Howard Chadwick Funeral Service in the village of Crowmarsh Gifford.

The third blaze engulfed the council offices.

The South Oxfordshire District Council HQ was set alight on 15 January

The estimated cost of the fires is thought to be about £20m

It was revealed in court Main had mental health issues, most likely a severe bi-polar disorder.

The court was told he intended to kill himself after setting the fires.

He told a psychiatrist he wanted to use a chainsaw to cut his neck.

Prosecutors said CCTV footage from the night showed Main had a chainsaw with him.

He set the fires using gas cylinders, which were found at all three fire sites as well as Main's home.

The burnt-out wreckage of a car that ploughed into the council building moments before it caught fire was found in the foyer.

The fires started within 10 minutes of each other shortly after 03:00 GMT

The burnt-out wreckage of a car that ploughed into the council building was found in the foyer

Main was told he would be detained in the mental health unit for an unlimited period of time.

Det Insp Louise Tompkins, senior investigating officer in the case, said the hospital order reflected "how unwell Mr Main was at the time he committed the offences".

"The fires had a significant impact on the local communities in and around Crowmarsh Gifford and Rokemarsh," she added.

Adrian Foster, chief crown prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service said the motives behind Main's "reckless actions" remained "unclear".

He added: "Main was assessed by two psychiatric doctors, who both agreed that it would not be possible to make a jury sure that he was capable of forming the requisite intent.

"Therefore, the pleas were accepted by the prosecution team.

"Main was clearly seriously ill... it is incredibly fortunate that nobody was hurt."

The first fire was started at a thatched cottage on Quakers Corner in Rokemarsh

About 400 staff worked at the offices.

The fire completely destroyed the planning department and badly affected the environmental health department and housing department.

Planning applications and comments submitted in the days before the fire were destroyed and had to be resubmitted.

The complex also housed about two-thirds of the Vale of the White Horse District Council's staff.

The funeral parlour reopened last month following £100,000 of repair work.