Percy Road Man Jailed for Arson Spree

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Hill set fire to cars and bikes in six Shepherd's Bush streets

A man from Percy Road in Shepherd's Bush who caused over £30,000 worth of damage to parked cars and bikes by setting them on fire has been sent to prison.

David James Hill, 27 was sentenced to three and a half years in jail at Isleworth Crown Court on for eight counts of arson - all committed in streets in Shepherd's Bush over the course of one weekend in July this year.

The cars and bikes had been parked in Coningham Road, Findon Road, Westville Road, Greenside Road, Ellingham Road and Batson Road.

Hill's arson spree began between 11.45am and 2.10pm on July 26 with London Fire Brigade receiving a number of 999 calls from the public reporting that eight vehicles - five motorbikes and three cars - were on fire at separate locations within a mile radius of each other.

When police attended the scenes, a uniformed constable observed Hill acting suspiciously in the area. The officer conducted a search of his personal belongings and discovered a lighter which was unusually warm. Police went on to search Hill's nearby address where the lighter, his clothing and mobile phone were seized and he was arrested on suspicion of arson.

Detectives from Hammersmith and Fulham established that Hill had taken moving footage of the burning cars on his mobile phone. Local CCTV footage also caught Hill crouching by a bike - a Piaggo moped - which he was setting alight.

Detective Constable Matt Barker said: "Hill's callous actions could have easily led to risk and injury to himself and the public. Once Hill's description was communicated via police radio to officers attending the location that night our team worked quickly to locate and arrest him.

"The custodial sentence passed handed to Hill sends a clear message to offenders who blight the community with crimes of this nature, that they serious and that they will pay a price behind bars."

November 23, 2015