Teenager who set fire to mattress after row at home spared jail

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fled to a nearby field while his frantic mother raised the alarm with the emergency services.

Judge Martin Jackson reprimanded the defendant for putting his family members at risk, the city's crown court was told.

But the teenager was spared jail and instead given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order.

The court heard he was of previous good character and pleaded guilty to two counts of arson at the first opportunity.

The charge was arson by being reckless and endangering life.

Prosecuting, Ms Fiona Cortese, told the court: "[His mother] says there was ongoing issues with the defendant but these were getting worse.

"On November 22 [2019], she shouted for the defendant to wake up and go to college.

"He was in a bad mood. She asked for his mobile phone charger but he asked her to get out of his room and threw the charger towards her, which broke.

"He got close to her but she stood her ground and told him to leave the house. She went downstairs and said he began smoking a cannabis cigarette.

"She asked him to leave the house [again] but he refused. He then threatened to burn the house down. He ran upstairs and located half a toilet roll of paper before going to his bedroom.

"The defendant's mother remained downstairs. The defendant then ran downstairs to the back door, removed the back door key."

The mother then heard the smoke alarm go off before finding her son's mattress on fire.

'Tremendously stupid and dangerous'

She ran downstairs, unlooked the front door and alerted her neighbours and West Midlands Fire Service.

The police were also called and the defendant was found on the field nearby. He struggled with officers before he was arrested, the court heard.

Psychiatric reports were made on the defendant where doctors concluded he did not have a dangerous fascination with fire, his defence counsel revealed.

Defending, Ms Samantha Powis, said: "He was troubled massively by a huge amount of domestic violence that he was witnessed between his mother and her former partner.

"Having been compared to that man once too often, this offence happened. It has never happened before and has not repeated.

"This was a serious offence but it was one not born out of a morbid interest in fire."

The judge also said the defendant avoided jail because he was under 18.

Mr Jackson added: "For whatever reason, following an argument with your mother, you did something tremendously stupid and dangerous.

"You thought your mum would put the fire out. But you put her and your younger brother at risk. House fires are very serious.

"If you were over 18, I would be putting you in custody."