A DRUNK man caused about £20,000 of damage after he started a fire at Queen Margaret University.
Jonathan Brown lit the fire within a storage area that contained canisters of butane gas, CO2 and helium at the university in Musselburgh.
Brown had made his way to the university by bus and was spotted wandering about the campus, smoking and drinking from a can, at about 11.45pm on July 5, 2020.
The 33-year-old made his way to the secluded storage area, where flames and smoke were subsequently seen to erupt minutes later.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that firefighters raced to the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze before it could reach the gas canisters.
The court heard that several rooms within the university were damaged and the repair bill was in the region of £20,000.
Brown pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully setting fire to the university storage area when he appeared at the Capital court on Tuesday.
Jonathan Brown outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court
Prosecutor Jennifer McLaren said that Brown arrived at the Queen Margaret University campus by bus and was seen on CCTV walking around the grounds for about 90 minutes.
He was seen drinking from a can and smoking before heading to the storage area, where the flames were seen and a fire alarm activated at about 1.45am.
Security staff spotted Brown on the CCTV footage “running off” from the area and the fire service arrived just after 2am to find the area under a main stairwell well alight.
Ms McLaren said that firefighters took about “15 minutes to gain control of the fire” before the fire commander spotted 18 gas canisters within the area.
Police were called and retrieved a cigarette from the surrounding area before viewing the CCTV, which showed Brown walking about while “under the influence”.
The court was told that Brown, of Wardlaw Place, Edinburgh, then handed himself into police two days after the incident.
Solicitor Lesley Cunningham said that her client had one previous conviction and had no connection to the university.
Sheriff Alistair Noble deferred sentence for the preparation of reports to next month.
Brown admitted wilfully setting fire to a storage area and causing damage to the area at Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, on July 5, 2020.
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