"Death fears after arsonists strike at Coventry house"

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It's one of a number of fires in same area of Coventry in quick succession



A Coventry man fears that someone could be seriously hurt or even die unless a serial arsonist is caught.

Frank Slevin's home in Coundon was the target of an arson attack in the early hours of Thursday morning (June 25) - but luckily he was sleeping at his partner's home and the property was empty.

Dustbins outside the home in Lavender Avenue were set alight and the fire then spread to an extension that is being built, while the smoke from the blaze badly damaged every single room.

West Midlands Fire Service stated it is treating the fire as being started deliberately and Frank believes it was the work of an arsonist who has struck a number of times in the Coundon and Radford area in recent days and weeks.

Talking to CoventryLive about this morning's fire, he said: "My wheelie bins were up against the door and they set them on fire and it spread to the wooden temporary doors.

"I was at my partner's house and was woken by a call from the fire brigade telling me about the fire."

Other recent fires in the area include a woman's car being destroyed this week after her dustbin was purposefully set alight in Banks Road, Radford, and the flames took hold of her BMW.

And Frank believes the crimes have been committed by the same culprit.

"This guy needs to be caught," he said. "If this had happened to my next door neighbour, who is disabled, then he wouldn't have been able to get out, and I think if I had been here in bed I wouldn't have been able to get out due to all the smoke.

"Also my other neighbour has children, so this needs to be taken seriously."

Frank says police officers have told him things have "really escalated" in the area recently and the fire at his home is being treated as arson with intent to endanger life.

He also believes the culprit must live locally for so many incidents to have occurred in the area so quickly, adding: "Someone must know who this person is."

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Arson suspect arrested after spate of fires in Coventry



A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a spate of fires in Coventry.

West Midlands Police said the suspect arrested in the early hours of the morning (June 30) following a further two bin fires in the Coundon area of the city.

In recent weeks a string of arson attacks have been carried out in the city.

Officers were alerted by the West Midlands Fire Service to two wheelie bin fires today at around 3.40am in Shorncliffe Road and Dovecote Close − both in the Coundon area of the city.

Minutes later, a man matching the description of a suspect wanted in connection with a number of fires in Coundon was spotted.

The 40-year-old, from the Coundon area, ran off but was chased down in Holyhead Road where he was arrested.

He remains in custody at this time where it has been confirmed he is also being questioned in relation to a bin fire last week (June 25), which saw flames spread to a residential property, causing significant damage.

Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident on Lavender Avenue, though it is estimated several thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused.

Wheelie bin fires had previously been reported in the early hours of Tuesday morning (June 23), including ones in Lavender Avenue, Redesdale Avenue and Banks Road which resulted in a car catching fire.

Another fire that same morning on Browett Road resulted in a tree catching fire.

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Arsonist with 'urge' to set fires avoids prison after spree in Coventry



A middle-aged man who developed a fascination with fire carried out a spate of arson attacks – and then hung around to watch the fire brigade tackle the blazes he had caused.

Paul Giles targeted wheelie bins in the Coundon and Radford areas of Coventry – always striking during the night prior to collection day after householders had put their bins out.

And as well as the bins themselves, the intense blazes he started destroyed a woman’s car and caused fire and smoke damage to a house, a judge at Warwick Crown Court was told.

But Giles, 41, who was living in the Coundon area at the time, escaped being jailed after pleading guilty to six charges of arson and one of arson being reckless whether life was endangered.

Instead he was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity, and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

Doing so, Judge Potter told Giles: “You have never been before any court before, yet you find yourself facing sentence for seven offences, one of them a particularly serious offence.

“They were all committed over the course of just over a week in June when the country was wrestling with the pandemic and a degree of instability that was introduced into everyone’s lives.

“You went out and, in order to distract yourself from your own problems, began to set fire to the bins of other people.”

“It is quite plain this had an impact on a number of people. It was profoundly unsettling for all of them at a time when the country was unsettled enough.

“But it is plain to me these offences are very much out of character and arose from a conjunction of difficulties in your life against a background of an undiagnosed autistic issue. I am just persuaded I can suspend the sentence.”

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Victim of Coventry arsonist reacts to 'unbelievable' prison sentence



A victim whose home was set on fire by a serial arsonist who targeted wheelie bins in Coventry has slammed the sentence imposed on the firestarter as too lenient.

Frank Slevin has not been able to return to his home in Coundon since it was damaged in the blaze more than five months ago on June 25.

But he claims the man behind the string of bin fires in the area - which also saw flames spread to a car - is "walking around like nothing happened" after being handed a suspended sentence, meaning he will not have to spend any time in prison.

"What this guy did was very serious and he has had a lenient sentence," Mr Slevin told CoventryLive.

"Local people in the Coundon area just cannot believe it. It's unbelievable. Not enough attention has been given to the victims in this situation.

"I was there in court and it just felt like everyone was feeling sorry for him, but as a victim, I was told that if I had been home that night I would have been dead. Myself and many others believe this should have been an immediate prison sentence."

Mr Slevin, who is still unsure if he will be able to return to his home for Christmas, added: "This guy is walking around like nothing happened.

"Even one incident alone is serious enough, but there were seven in his case."

Mr Slevin also says Giles should be made to work within the community.

He added: "I think during his community service he should have to put back into our community, here in Coundon to really show people how sorry he is.

"He shouldn't be picking litter somewhere or cleaning graffiti, he should be helping out the people here."