CCTV footage captured the moments before Craig Higgs, 37, walked towards Bellfield Court in Musselburgh, looking at his mobile phone, minutes before a blaze broke out, trapping his former partner and her five-year-old child inside.
Deliberate fire set in communal stairwell
Higgs set fire to a barbecue, a bag of coal and other items in the communal stairwell, causing flames to engulf the area. Less than 10 minutes later, the stairwell was ablaze. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used an enforcer and an axe to smash into the home and rescue the mother and child. Several other residents were also unable to escape until the fire was brought under control.
Arrest and conviction
Higgs was arrested about three hours later and was still carrying a lighter. He was convicted of wilful fire-raising, endangering the lives of his former partner, the child and other residents. He had previously admitted two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour.
Sentence and non-harassment order
At the High Court in Edinburgh on 28 July 2026, Higgs was jailed for seven years. A judge also imposed an indefinite non-harassment order banning him from contacting his former partner. Procurator Fiscal Sineidin Corrins said: "Craig Higgs deliberately set a fire which left his former partner and a young child trapped inside their home and placed the lives of other residents in immediate danger. This was a calculated and deeply reckless act that put an entire community at risk and could easily have had fatal consequences."
