Arsonist who burnt down homeless man's tent in Salisbury is sentenced

Tuesday, 14 September 2021 01:00

A man who burnt down a homeless man’s tent in Salisbury has been convicted of arson.

Gary Metcalfe, 35, of no fixed address, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court and pleaded guilty to one count of arson relating to an incident in April 2020. He had argued with the occupier of the tent in Culver Street car park, so set fire to it in revenge.

Thankfully, the man who lived inside the tent was not there when it happened, but around £400 worth of damage was caused when the tent, mattress, backpack, torches, flasks and food were destroyed.

The surface of the car park was also damaged.

Last week (8th September) Metcalfe was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

PC Lou Poole, from the Salisbury Area Community Policing Team, said: “The victim in this case lost their accommodation and all their belongings in this fire, an incident which obviously had a huge impact on them.

“We carried out a detailed investigation, which included securing CCTV which clearly showed Metcalfe going into the tent, before re-emerging and then smoke starting to appear.

“This CCTV footage was key in ensuring Metcalfe admitted his guilt at court".

Image: Google Maps Street View.

More from Local News

Shops to stay open for 'Festive Shopping' evening

Shops will open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 5th, for an evening of festive shopping in Salisbury, the City of the Stars, this Christmas.
A step towards a safer community as Speedwatch group gets underway

Laverstock & Ford Parish Council saw their inaugural Community Speedwatch get underway this month after some initial setbacks.
Trainee teacher takes part in prestigious Lord Mayor’s Show in London to raise awareness of liver disease

A trainee teacher and marathon runner who is waiting for a liver transplant, was a special guest at the Lord Mayor’s Show in London last Saturday, representing the British Liver Trust, the UK’s leading liver health charity.
Residents encouraged to ‘Ask the Leader’ at event in Amesbury

Wiltshire Council is continuing to host its series of community events across the county where people can ask questions to find out more about the work of the council, with the Leader of the Council having visited 16 of Wiltshire’s 18 community areas so far.
Three men arrested in connection with van break-in series

Wiltshire Police have arrested three people in connection with an investigation into thefts from vans across the county, during which thousands of pounds worth of power tools have been stolen.
Wiltshire Council working hard to reduce overspend

Wiltshire Council has provided its second formal update of the 2024/25 financial year, which shows its previously forecasted overspending has reduced significantly.
Wiltshire's recycling collection to change from 2027

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed its future approach to collecting recycling when its current contracts to carry out this service come to an end in 2026.
Salisbury based trains fitted with new anti-slip tech

A new initiative between Network Rail and South Western Railway has more than doubled the number of trains treating the railway and keeping the tracks leaf-free this Autumn.