A customer who torched a sex shop after telling the horrified assistant “I have a surprise for you” was jailed indefinitely yesterday.
Neil Andersen, 43, doused the Private Shop in Bath, Somerset, with petrol before dropping a match – causing £20,000 worth of damage.
Andersen, who has a psychotic illness, admitted setting fire to the shop in October 2011, telling Bristol Crown Court he was “frustrated” with the owners.
The court heard he has 11 convictions for 18 previous offences, including stalking a BBC actress, who was not named, and threatening her with a knife, as well as threatening to fire-bomb a pub after getting kicked out.
Andersen has a mixed personality disorder, and was found by two psychiatrists to be dangerous and delusional.
During the trial, shop worker Mark Morris told a jury how he noticed Andersen entering the shop as he displayed saucy DVDs.
He said: “A man came into the shop. I was in the back end of the store putting DVDs on the wall.
“I didn’t think anything of it when he came in. He had a rucksack on. He said ‘I have a surprise for you’.
“I remember thinking he was bringing back some DVDs because we do a part exchange service.
“I walked towards him and the next thing I knew he was opening his bag. I saw a jerry can.
“The next thing I knew, I had petrol coming at me. I jumped out of the way. It all happened within seconds.
“He lit a match and dropped it. While it was all happening I remember him saying ‘this isn’t right’. He mentioned something about God.
“At the time I thought it was a religious act because he didn’t like what I was selling.”
Andersen initially denied a charge of arson with intent to endanger life and an alternative charge of arson which was reckless as to whether life was endangered, because he did not realise a family lived above the shop.
During an interview with police, Andersen said: “It sells adult DVDs, sex toys, lubricants, magazines and a range of products. I have a gripe with how some DVDs are produced.
“I had a gripe with the company who runs the shop not the man who works in it. These DVDs and some of the DVDs are not kosher.
“My gripe is that the company uses a courier in the capital and he got dropped in the shit when he lost some property. I am being harassed by people about it.”
Andersen went on to allege to the officers that many sex films were made using Welsh female prisoners who were shipped to England and subjected to sexual abuse which was taped.
He suggested that the footage was then put onto DVDs and sold in Private Shops across the country.
When asked how many DVDs he had purchased from the shop he refused to say – stating: “That is academic”.
Recorder Ben Compton QC said Andersen was “dangerous”, and would have to serve at least four years in prison before being considered for parole.
The judge said: “There has been an escalation in your criminal behaviour. I do regard this as a very serious offence at the top end of recklessness.
“You will not be released until the secretary of state deems you safe to be released.”
