A judge said he would be prepared to summons a mental health team to court in a bid to safely house an arsonist when he’s released from prison.
Dominic Armstrong, 59, set fire to the bedroom of his flat in Downland Drive, Hove on 16 May. He was charged with arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, which he admitted in July.
Following his guilty plea, he was remanded in custody after the court heard he had a history of similar behaviour, while a psychiatric report could be drawn up ahead of his sentencing.
Current sentencing guidelines mean it is unlikely Armstrong will be given a custodial sentence.
But Judge David Rennie adjourned the hearing after being told there was no mental health support in place for him if he is released from custody.
He was told by probation officer Miss Bennett that this was partly because this could only be arranged once Armstrong is registered with a GP – but no GP will register him until he has an address.
And she said her attempts to contact an in-reach team, which works from the prison and liaises with mental health services, had not been responded to.
Judge Rennie said: “The public need to know we have thought about public protection and if there’s a team that’s just not engaging, that’s not acceptable.”
Richard Curtis from Brighton and Hove City Council said Armstrong had been found accommodation in Eastbourne – but said if Armstrong wasn’t released today, it might not be available any longer.
The court was told it was costing £120 a night to keep open.
Mr Curtis said Armstrong might then be placed at another address in Eastbourne – or potentially in Portsmouth or Croydon.
Judge Rennie said he appreciated the council’s financial constraints, but asked that if possible, Armstrong be placed in Eastbourne so registering him with a GP there could move forward.
In the meantime, Miss Bennett said she would email the in-reach team to inform them the judge had adjourned the case until Friday morning, and that if the situation hadn’t been resolved, he would be issuing a summons.
Armstrong spoke from the dock to suggest he might be able to be registered at his elderly mother’s GP practice, which is in Eastbourne.
Armstrong was taken to hospital after the blaze at his ground floor flat in May.
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.
