Neighbour angry at hot tub party set fire to gazebo

MAN, 52, 'DEEPLY REGRETS IMPULSIVE INCIDENT'

- By ESTHER HALLIGAN

AN ARSONIST who was angry about a hot tub party set fire to a gazebo in his neighbour's garden.

Wayne Loughman’s wife was woken by sounds of her neighbours having fun in their hot tub, which was in the shed of their garden on Ashbourne Road in Stockton.

Loughman, 52, peered into his neighbour’s back garden, in the early hours of May 11. Teesside Crown Court has heard the irate householder - who has lived on the street for 22 years - chucked a lit candle on top of the gazebo which went up in flames.

His neighbour checked his CCTV and saw what Loughman had done. He confronted the arsonist - who denied everything.

The Middlesbrough court heard that Loughman dropped a letter around to his neighbours the next day.

The prosecutor read the note aloud to the court: “If the police aren’t coming then we need to talk. You need compensation. It wasn’t malicious. If the police are coming, then please ignore”

Loughman signed his note with kisses. He was arrested on May 21 and told the police: “I know you've got the evidence.”