A bungling arsonist was jailed for two years following a failed fire bomb attack on a public house after he used non-flammable diesel in two Molotov cocktails — instead of petrol.
HALL OF SHAME: WEIRD CRIME GALLERY
Stupid Andrew Price, 53, blew a fuse after he was kicked out of his local pub for allegedly daubing unpleasant graffiti in the gents’ toilets.
He exploded with rage and called the landlord of the Dolphin pub in Uphill, Bristol, a communist before he stormed out and made the two Molotov cocktails.
But the would-be arsonist used diesel instead of petrol in the incendiary devices – meaning they were useless – and would have simply smashed on impact, but not explode.
Diesel, unlike petrol, is not flammable. It is combustible but will only burn like wax in a candle with a wick unless it is heated or put under great pressure.
Unemployed chef Price, of Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, was jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty to attempting to making the explosive substance in March.
Richard Posner, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court pub manager Phillip Blake took a drink off Price and told him to leave after suspecting him of writing graffiti in the toilets.
Mr Posner said: ”He left the pub in some frustration suggesting they were communists and were behaving in an unreasonable way.
”He walked one-and-a-half miles to the home of Michael Thomas where he was a house guest. He was still very angry because of what he felt was a slur on his character.
”It would appear he wanted to firebomb the pub. He filled two glass jars with diesel fuel and used two rags for wicks.
”He made Molotov cocktails. He wanted to drive round and throw them at the pub that was his thought process. But, in drink, he went to sleep.”
The court heard Price woke the following morning and was found by houseowner Michael Thomas fumbling with the incendiaries in the garden.
Mr Thomas was so concerned he called police and officers arrested Price outside the pub. Price told police his intention was to make petrol bombs.
The court heard Price had a previous conviction for causing arson, being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, in 2003.
He had lost his job as a pub chef in Northampton as a result after starting small fires at that pub when people were upstairs.
Oliver Willmott, defending, said after the offence in 2003 his client had promised not to repeat such an attack-and had kept that promise.
He said: ”This was an attempt to do the impossible. That doesn’t go to credit but it does go to the seriousness of the offence.
”These devices wouldn’t have ignited, they were in-operative. In a moment when in drink he wavered and thought in terms of creating such devices.
”It’s something he only contemplated for a brief period of time before deciding against it and leaving them where they were.”
Judge Martin Picton ordered Price not to return to the Dolphin after his release and to keep out of an exclusion zone around the premises.
He said: ”It is legitimately worrying that you carried out an arson attack in the past and should create Molotov cocktails, or items that would cause a fire.
”You did create the items but you didn’t act upon it and came to your senses and they were found by the police.”
Last week Amir Ali was jailed for eight years for a bungled firebombing attack. As the 28-year-old fled the scene of the failed attack, he ran into a lamppost – and ended up visiting an NHS walk-in centre to receive treatment.
HALL OF SHAME: WEIRD CRIME GALLERY
Flammable liquid is any liquid which one can ignite into flame.
INFLAMMABLE liquid is a liquid which is highly volatile and will explode when heated/exposed to heat and given a source of ignition.