An arsonist was caught after his electronic tag placed him at the scene of his crime, leading police to arrest him. Neil Cook, 46, was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on August 12 for setting three fires inside a house in Porter Terrace, Murton, in March.
House Fire Endangered Lives
The fires quickly engulfed the house, but no one was inside at the time. The property was so badly damaged it was uninhabitable, and neighbouring addresses were also affected. Cook had been in dispute with the homeowner over a car, which made him a suspect.
Tag Data Leads to Arrest
Police received data from Cook's GPS tag showing he had been at the address at the time of the incident. A car caught on CCTV that he used to travel there was also registered to his address in Gateshead. Officers arrested Cook, and he was charged with arson endangering life and burglary.
Sentence and Reaction
Cook pleaded guilty to arson but not guilty to burglary. He was sentenced to three years and ten months for arson, with the burglary charge remaining on his file. A spokesperson for Peterlee CID said: “Cook could have killed someone that day and it’s lucky that no one was injured. He destroyed a family’s home and everything in it without a second thought.”
“His luck ran out however when he led officers straight to him with his tag data – he is clearly not the most intelligent of criminals.” The spokesperson added: “We hope this sentence can bring some comfort to the victim who lost everything because of Cook’s selfish actions.”
