Shocking moment arsonist torched packed nightclub – before taking Snapchat SELFIES in front of blaze
He pleaded guilty to arson and was sentenced to six years behind bars
An arsonist who took SELFIES in front of the fire engines sent to put out the fire he started inside a busy nightclub has been jailed for six years.
Scott Jackson claimed he was so drunk he did not remember starting the blaze but was able to Snapchat pictures of himself near the fire and with the fire engines.
The fire, in the basement of Hull's Valbon, destroyed the building and could have injured or killed the 300 people in the club on February 20. The club had just undergone a £200,000 refurbishment.
He admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
Sentencing him to six years, judge David Tremberg told Jackson he had behaved with "gratuitous and reckless disregard for life and limb.
"Mr Jackson, what is so chilling and worrying about this sort of offence is that you had no control where this fire went and just what the consequences might have been."
The court heard there were six door staff, 13 bar staff, and between 250 and 300 customers in the club at the time of the blaze.
The judge added: "These people were out for a good time; they were not looking out for their personal safety.
"No doubt they were all of them enjoying the occasion, drinking, that's not an offence, and perhaps would have been poorly equipped to react in an emergency situation."
Jason Herringshaw, general manager of the club, told Hull Crown Court the fire "could have cost hundreds of lives" and was "horrendous and vindictive".
The fire was started in a cupboard full of cleaning products and wooden shelves.
It spread quickly causing "extensive" to the room and burnt through the ceiling and filled a corridor - a fire escape - with smoke.
Jackson was seen on CCTV going into the storeroom with his friend Warren Scott, 23.
Scott soon leaves the building after urinating in the doorway and going through a fire exit.
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Moments later flashes can be seen as Jackson starts the fire, before he leaves through the same exit as his friend, taking photos as he exits.
He later told police his level of drunkenness on a scale of one to ten, was ten.
Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said the pictures, "showed him taking photographs of himself in front of the fire engines at the scene.
"He was identified quickly and interviewed the next day.
"He said he didn't remember being at Valbon. He remembered being outside because he recalled the fire engines."
His friend, Scott, was tried for the same offence but was found not guilty on the direction of the judge, as he had not been in the building at the time.
Rodney Ferm, defending, said: "You can see from the testimonials you have read that there is another side entirely to him. He has got a supportive family, some of whom are in court, including his mother.
"They are anxious and concerned about him, but know that he can't go back to them today or in the immediate future."
Jackson had breached a suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery by committing the arson. Both the previous charges related to separate assaults on his ex-partner.
He was jailed for five years for the arson, one year for ABH to run consecutively, and two months for battery, to run concurrently.
Mr Herringshaw said after the hearing: "It was a fair sentence and, in the court, he said he was sorry for what he did, so we, as a company, accept his apology.
"We had about 280 people in the club and had to evacuate everybody, so it was pretty serious, but thankfully it wasn't worse than it was.
"We're not the type to hold a grudge, especially as he showed remorse."
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