A council tenant has appeared in court charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.
Dominic Armstrong, 59, of Downland Drive, Hove, was remanded in custody at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday (18 May) after the fire at his home on Saturday.
He is due to appear at Lewes Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Monday 15 June.
Sussex Police said: “We are investigating a fire at a property in Downland Drive, Hove, on the afternoon of Saturday 16 May.
“Dominic Armstrong, 59, of Downland Drive, Hove, has been charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.”
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service sent fire engines from Hove and Preston Circus, in Brighton, to put out the fire after a 999 call shortly before 1pm on Saturday.
The fire service said that crews responded to reports of a blaze in the ground floor flat at the Hangleton property.
The blaze was put out by just after 2.15pm, the fire service said, adding: “One person was handed over to the care of the ambulance service.
“Crews used two breathing apparatus, one hose-reel jet and one main jet to extinguish the fire. A thermal imaging camera was also used to check for hot spots.”
The same property was damaged by arson on Tuesday 26 September 2023 when Sussex Police said that the fire was believed to have been started deliberately by the occupant.
On that occasion, a man was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with serious injuries, described as life-changing.
No more social housing for him I think 🤔
If someone is a danger to themselves and others, that is grounds for sectioning and committal under the Mental Health Act. He certainly should not be allowed to return to the property with his record. It should be fixed up and allocated to a deserving family.
Social will probably put him right back in there once it’s fixed up, it’s cheaper for the council than the cost of hospitalising him on mental health grounds.