Steven Jones, 40, of Parker Street in Warrington, was jailed for six years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, July 27, after pleading guilty to criminal damage recklessly endangering life.
Threat and damage
The incident occurred on April 20, 2026, when Jones went to a woman's house and deliberately damaged her gas pipes during a phone argument. He opened the gas meter cupboard outside her flat and broke the pipe, then told the woman: “When you open your front door and light a cigarette up, you will go boom.”
Response and sentencing
Police were called and detected a strong smell of gas. A gas engineer secured the mains, and readings indicated a level of gas that would have posed a threat to life, with a small spark capable of triggering an explosion. Jones was arrested the following day.
Cheshire police DC Williams said: “Jones’ actions could easily have caused an explosion, injuring or potentially killing people, all because of an argument. Thankfully, the incident was resolved before anyone got hurt but the outcome could easily have been very different. This reckless, dangerous and calculated behaviour which risked people’s lives has now landed him behind bars for a considerable length of time and I welcome the sentence handed to him.”
