By Philip Dewey
Copyright walesonline
A terraced house was “firebombed” by two men armed with jerry cans who smashed a window and lit a fire over a drug dispute. They were caught in the act by a woman who lived at the property and chased her away as she wet herself in fright. Dean Reddington, 40, and Dean Eastwood, 34, travelled from Manchester to Trethomas in Caerphilly in order to set fire to a house occupied by Jed Wiegold and his partner Claire Barry . There had been a dispute between Mr Wiegold and others regarding drugs and there had been a series of incidents involving damage to property and vehicles. A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, September 16, heard Ms Barry returned to her property in Coronation Street on June 25 when she saw a Vauxhall vehicle containing two men drive slowly past her. F or the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter . She saw the two men were wearing balaclavas and when the vehicle stopped, they got out and were holding green jerry cans with hoses attached. Upon seeing Ms Barry, the two men, later identified as Reddington and Eastwood, started walking towards her and she began screaming and banging on neighbours’ doors for help. Eastwood began running towards her and she ran away before hiding behind a wall in a neighbour’s garden and wet herself in fear. Reddington then smashed a window of the victims’ homes and poured accelerants through the window, before someone was heard to say “burn it to the ground, burn it to the ground”. The property was set alight and the men drove off as a “large fireball” emerged from the house. The defendant’s car broke down during their journey and they were arrested on the M4 near the Prince of Wales Bridge. Prosecutor Andrew Davies said there was a “high risk of serious physical harm” as the properties in the street were “closely packed”. Fortunately, no one was in the property at the time of the fire, but extensive smoke damage was caused and the house was left “inhabitable”. Reddington and Eastwood, both of no fixed abode, later pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life. Both men have previous convictions committed in Ireland, with Reddington having convictions for theft, damage, and attempted robbery. Eastwood has previous convictions for drugs offences, assault and theft. In mitigation for Reddington, Kevin Seal said the arson was not “professional or sophisticated” and his client became involved in order to repay a drug debt for others. He said the defendant had recently reestablished contact with his mother and his daughter, and has PTSD. Hilary Roberts, for Eastwood, said his client became involved in the drug scene and racked up a large debt, and was tasked with carrying out the arson in order to wipe out his debt. Sentencing, Judge Vanessa Francis said: “You didn’t care if anyone was inside and knew it was a mid terrace house with people living on either side… You really wanted to do damage, you really wanted to cause harm. Whether it was your argument or not, you were prepared for it to happen to the people inside.” Reddington and Eastwood were sentenced to six years and seven months imprisonment each. Following the hearing, Millie Davies of the CPS said: “The two men’s actions were calculated and deliberate, having driven to Trethomas to set the house on fire. They showed no regard for the safety of anyone who could have been in the property or for other homeowners. “This must have been a frightening experience for the victim and the other residents. The Crown Prosecution Service presented strong evidence to the Court which resulted in these convictions.” Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
