CCTV evidence as Sleaford man jailed for A&E arson

John Gillon Watson, 57, of Vicarage Court, Sleaford, was also given the maximum extended licence period of five years on his release from jail as he was deemed a serious risk to the public.

Patients and staff had to be evacuated from Lincoln County Hospital during the blaze on March 29, 2022, which caused initial damage estimated at £180,000 and an insurance loss of £1.9 million.

Watson, 57, refused to leave his cell at Lincoln Prison to attend his sentence hearing on Monday at Lincoln Crown Court and refused to appear on a video-link.

The sentencing judge heard from a prison officer who told the court he had informed Watson of the hearing, but was waved away.

Watson had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered at Lincoln County Hospital.

He also admitted a charge of arson on October 16, 2021 at an alleyway in Sleaford Market Place where he set fire to a bin near a burger bar with a cigarette and lighter.

Annabel Lenton, prosecuting, said the first arson was caught on CCTV at 1am and Watson was heard shouting "fire, fire." He had initially claimed three young men had been in the area.

Miss Lenton said the second more serious fire was first detected in the A&E department at Lincoln County Hospital just before 3am on March 29 last year. Six fire appliances were called and took an hour to extinguish the fire.

"By luck no one was injured," Miss Lenton added. "But the Accident and Emergency unit was closed for 13 hours."

Miss Lenton said Watson's movements around the hospital had been caught on various CCTV cameras after he self presented himself to the hospital at 1.27am with chest pains.

At 2.20am Watson was seen in the A&E department wearing a "distinctive Elvis jacket," Miss Lenton said.

Watson was later filmed in the same room as the seat of the fire at 2.55am.

He later appeared to be panicking, and pushing a fire door and was seen in a smoke filled corridor talking to a fire officer.

The seat of the fire was located in a medical trolley in the interventional radiology room where a fire had been started with a naked flame.

The court heard police visited Watson at 10.30am for an initial safety check and became aware he was wanted in connection with the fire.

At the police station a green lighter was found in Watson's sock, of which he denied knowledge. Watson refused to co-operate with either a probation or psychiatric report.

Neil Sands, mitigating, said there was little in Watson's previous convictions to suggest the serious offence.

The court heard Watson had just one previous conviction for handling stolen goods and failing to surrender in 1995.

Passing sentence on Watson in his absence Judge James House KC said: "It is plain he had started the fire."

Judge House said the fire included a real risk of an explosion due to the proximity of gas pipes, and a serious risk to both patients and staff.

"Fortunately the fire doors did their job, although they would have succumbed eventually,"Judge House added.

"It was luck and the prompt action of the fire service and staff that stopped it becoming even more dangerous."

Judge House said while the insurance claim was £1.9 million, that did not take into account the human cost of missed appointments and longer journeys to other hospitals.

With two fires in six months, and limited knowledge for the reason, Judge House concluded there was a pattern of behaviour which presented a substantial risk to the public in the future.

- The fire led to the emergency evacuation of the busy A&E department – including sick and injured patients. It also led to the instantaneous loss of a CT scanner at the hospital, a machine which can be vital for someone with a serious injury, meaning the potential to treat significant traumas at the hospital was severely impacted.

The Trust declared a major incident as a result of the fire, with patients diverted to other departments at Lincoln County Hospital, as well as other hospitals. In total, the A&E department was closed down for 48 hours, damage to diagnostic equipment meant that more than 3,300 patient appointments for diagnostic tests were delayed.

Once extinguished, the fire was found to have caused extensive damage to the imaging room housing the CT scanner and MRI machine, a mobile ultrasound machine, a computer, bandages, and other equipment, as well as soot and smoke damage to the entire department and neighbouring areas.

Watson has remained in custody since his arrest and charge. As well as police detectives, the investigation also included arson investigators from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, forensic investigators, and the hospital’s estates and facilities team.

Detective Sergeant Dave Patten from Lincoln CID led the investigation. After the sentencing, he said: “This was one of the most serious and reckless cases of arson we have ever dealt with; the potential for harm should that fire have escalated is unthinkable.

“The impact on the community and the hospital teams has been profound, with patients having to be diverted to other treatment centres, and clean up and repair work impacting the use of a busy emergency department.

“This would have been very frightening for staff and patients, and I hope that today’s sentencing goes some way to providing some comfort that justice has been served against the individual responsible.”