Jail for Norwich arsonist who caused £8k of damage

Metkel Gebremeskel had previously admitted arson and being reckless as to whether life was endangered after he torched a mattress at his flat in Balderston Court, off Calvert Street, Norwich.

He caused more than £8k worth of damage just a few days before lighting another, less serious, fire there.

Balderston Court, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Gebremeskel appeared at King's Lynn Crown Court this week when he was sentenced to two years imprisonment by Recorder Michael Turner.

King's Lynn Crown Court (Image: Newsquest) The block of flats in Balderstone Court had to be evacuated after Gebremeskel set fire to his bedding and left the property shortly before 6pm on October 22, 2022.

One neighbour reported hearing an "explosion" but no-one was hurt in the blaze which resulted in £8,397 worth of damage being caused.

The case has had a protracted history due to Gebremeskel's mental health issues.

Metkel Gebremeskel (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) A sentencing hearing in March had to be adjourned. It was after the defendant, originally from Eritrea in Africa, who has paranoid schizophrenia, did not appear in court.

This was because he had been transferred to mental health hospital Northside House and no psychiatric report had been carried out.

At the hearing, Chris Youell, prosecuting, said Gebremeskel had been "howling at the moon" and "smearing faeces in his cell" but had since contacted police to "ask for his clothing back" which he hoped might be a more promising sign about his presentation.

The adjournment in March followed an earlier occasion when the case had to be postponed due to the defendant having a "mental health crisis" in the dock during the hearing.

In August last year, the defendant continually shouted out things like "hellfire" and "you White House Washington" during the hearing before being led back down to the cells when he started to pull up his top and tried to take his trousers down.

On that occasion, Recorder Turner said it would be "inappropriate" to sentence him as he "was having a mental health crisis".