A man stormed into a social club, shouted “nobody fucks with me” and doused a snooker table and a barmaid with petrol.
Mark Smith drunkenly tried to set fire to the premises after reacting angrily to a joke, but was fortunately overpowered by other customers. He later told police he had “lost his head”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon on Friday that Donna Benyon was working at the Parr Conservative and Working Men’s Club in St Helens on the evening of November 22 last year when the defendant, who she had known for around 17 years, walked in at around 9pm. She recalled serving him three to four cognacs and cokes over the course of the night before he came back to the bar shortly after 11pm and asked for another drink.
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Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, described how the employee jokingly stated that she had already called in the last orders. But Smith, of McCormack Avenue in St Helens, replied: “F*** you.”
The 53-year-old then left the building and said “bye”. Then, shortly before midnight, the doors at the entrance “flew open” and he came back in with a green petrol can in hand, shouting: “Nobody f***s with me.”
Smith started pouring the gas on a snooker table, prompting Mrs Benyon to run over and take the fuel from him. He responded by swinging the container at her, which led to her pushing him to the ground in response.
There were approximately seven customers remaining at this stage, and several intervened and were able to escort him from the premises. Ms Benyon, meanwhile, was left with petrol covering her feet, legs and arms and standing in a puddle of liquid.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, the mother said she “could have died” and had since suffered hair loss and a flare-up of her psoriasis. She added: “I’ve known Mark for many years and never thought he would do something like this. He clearly tried to kill me. I never want to see him again.”
Smith was arrested the same evening after calling the police himself. He told detectives questioned that he had “lost his head” and bought the fuel at a petrol station because he “planned to hit the club where it would hurt them by setting the snooker tables on fire”.
His criminal record includes five previous convictions for five offenses between 1986 and 2003. Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court: “The defendant is aware of the effect this has had on Ms Benyon and he apologizes through me.
“For twenty years, this man has not caused anyone any trouble. He has struggled with alcohol and has struggled with depression. When he is sober, he is gentle, polite and courteous. That night, while under the influence of alcohol, he committed a very serious offense .” .
“He has had a lot of time to think about his behavior. He is now alcohol-free.
“He hopes to be alcohol-free when he is released. After the death of his mother, he seems to have returned to that maladaptive practice of drinking alcohol. It will be his first prison sentence. You hope it will be a salutary lesson for him.”
Smith admitted the attempted arson was reckless as to whether life was endangered, assault by beating and criminal damage. Appearing via video link at HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for four and a half years – of which he must serve at least two-thirds – and was given a further three years in prison, as well as a lifelong restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: “The facts of this crime are grim and horrific. You were refused service and this angered you. You admitted planning to set fire to the snooker table and injuring people or worse. You felt that Mrs. Benyon had humiliated you.
“You described what you did as a moment of madness and red mist. You were overwhelmed before you could continue with your deliberate and misguided attempt to commit arson.
“The consequences, as you well know, could have been catastrophic – both in terms of damage to property and danger to life. It goes without saying that fire is completely uncontrollable, especially due to the spread of gasoline.”
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