Woman sent to secure hospital after arson attempt

9:56am Monday 24th November 2008

A WOMAN who started a fire at a care home in the middle of the night has been sent to a secure mental hospital.

Jane Ryan used a cigarette lighter to torch curtains at the establishment while other residents and staff slept inside.

But after hearing how the 43-year-old paranoid schizophrenic had been ‘chronically under treated’ for years a judge imposed a hospital order on her.

And he also said she would be subject to a restriction order which controlled when and how she could be released from hospital in the future.

Rachel Marshall, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Ryan was a resident at The Gables residential care home in Chippenham.

She said the establishment catered for 17 residents with mental health problems and learning difficulties aged from 20 to 65 years old as well as a number of full time staff.

Ryan, who had been diagnosed as schizophrenic, had been living there for about a year when the offence took place.

“In the early hours of August 4 she set fire to curtains in the staff room on the ground floor,” Miss Marshall said.

“She had been standing outside and leaned in through the window and using a cigarette lighter set fire to curtains and then ran off.”

When she was questioned by police she initially refused to answer questions but eventually admitted starting the fire.

Although she could not say why she did it she told officers that she did not like living at the home.

Miss Marshall said as a result of the blaze about £3,000 worth of damage was caused to the property.

Ryan, of The Gables, Bristol Road, Chippenham, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said thought his client had no previous convictions she had a history of not complying with medical programmes.

He said mental health experts recommended his client should receive a hospital order with the restriction order.

Dr Nicola Claxton, a forensic psychiatrist, told the court that she felt Ryan had both been ‘chronically under treated’ and also failed to engage with services.

Passing sentence Judge William Hart said the needs of the defendant and the public were best served by making the hospital order.

Ryan will receive treatment at a medium secure unit and the restriction order means if she is released she can be made subject to conditions like ensuring she keeps in contact with doctors and taking her medication.