A 23-YEAR-old man who set fire to a bin and pushed it up to the door of a flat on his way home from a drunken night out has been jailed for more than two years.

Jamie Smith, of Bowness Avenue, pleaded guilty to damaging property with intent to endangering life at Chester Crown Court on Friday.

The judge heard how Smith, returning from a night of drinking with friends at Voodoo Bar, set fire to a wheelie bin behind Newsplus on Thelwall Lane at around 7am. The bin was pushed against a door in the yard.

The group then watched the fire unfold from the other side of the road.

Peter Hussey, prosecuting, said: “It was the only access for the flat above.

“The man who lives there was woken up at 7am by the sound on banging at the back door. He could see a group of men in the yard.

“He saw the bin being tugged right up to the back door. He thought potentially it was a burglary.

“But the next moment he could smell burning. He became very concerned because it was his only way out.”

The shopkeeper was serving a customer at around 6.50am who mentioned smoke coming from the area and raised the alarm.

Mr Hussey said no fuel had been used to accelerate the fire but a police officer who arrived at the scene believed a fire had been set directly on top of the recycling bin.

“The police used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and firefighters were called to the scene.

He added: “Officers saw a couple of men loitering across the road.

“The victim says when he looked out his window he could see the group looking up at his flat. He felt targeted.”

Defending, John Williams said: “Smith bravely admitted his role in interview. It’s clear that drink played its part in this offence.

“He’s not an unintelligent man. He passed GCSEs and worked and has a partner who is due to give birth in February.

“He admitted the offence and other involved have not been brought to justice. If you can find it in your heart to give him an opportunity, that’s what I’m ask your honour to do.”

Judge Roger Dutton, sentencing, said: “You pushed the bin up against the back door, which was the only means of exit although you might not have known it, and you set fire to it.

“The victim was very scared at what was going on.

“There was no motive.

“If you mess with fire you are being reckless to whether the lives of others are in danger. This is extremely serious.

“The fire could have spread inside the premises.

“You stood outside watching. That, in my view, is a very unsavoury aspect of this case.”

Smith was handed a two year and eight month prison sentence.