University Hospital of Wales smoker jailed for cigarette fire

The fire caused an estimated £47,500-worth of damage to the hospital ward

A man has been jailed for five years after admitting causing a fire at a hospital by lighting a cigarette.

Lee Williams, of Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was wearing an oxygen mask when he lit the cigarette on a ward at University Hospital of Wales.

The fire caused almost £50,000-worth of damage, a court heard.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and arson with intent to endanger life at a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court.

Nurses had to evacuate 38 patients after the fire took hold on the ward, which was subsequently closed for two weeks in May 2019.

Lee Williams had been treated with oxygen and a nebuliser prior to the blaze

Williams, 44, had been receiving treatment for two weeks on the C5 ward at the hospital when the fire happened.

The court heard Williams had been told on three previous occasions he was not allowed to smoke on the ward, but Williams told them he would smoke if he wanted to.

He had been found in his bed with a lit cigarette the day before the blaze, but appeared to be sleeping.

A nurse took away the lit cigarette and he was again warned against smoking in the hospital.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall told the court: "The ward was forced to close for two weeks and medical staff had treatment for smoke inhalation."

Medical staff needed treatment for smoke inhalation in the aftermath of the blaze

He added an investigation found that "smoking while using an oxygen mask" was the "probable cause" of the fire.

The fire caused £47,500 worth of damage and the closure "added pressure to the rest of the hospital".

Williams suffered a blackened nose and injuries to his mouth after the fire.

Laurence Jones, defending, said Williams "may have been in a state of confusion through self-medication".

Judge David Wynn Morgan said: "You were told in the clearest terms you could not smoke in the hospital.

"The dangers of fire were made clear to you. Your response was: 'I don't care, it is my decision to have a cigarette'.

"You put at risk the life of the doctor who rushed to treat you, the two nurses who helped, the security staff who put out the fire, and the 38 patients who had to be evacuated in the thick smoke."