Man set fire to his home 'to end magic'

6:55pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

A SCHIZOPHRENIC torched the family home while his parents slept, to "terminate the magic" on him, a court heard.

After hearing about his mental health problems a judge decided not to pass a jail term but to sentence him to a hospital order with a restriction order.

Lawrie Osbourne cannot be released until he is deemed safe, a judge has ruled.

The 27-year-old started a blaze in the middle of the night which destroyed the family's timber- framed bungalow at Littleworth, near Pewsey.

Dr Paul Cantrell, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told Swindon Crown Court Osbourne suffered from psychotic illness with schizophrenia.

He said the patient had refused to talk to him about the offence until recently, when he revealed why he had done it.

"He has told me part of the reasoning for the setting of the fire was in order to try and terminate the magic that had been carried out on him," he told the court.

"The offence was clearly linked with his mental illness rather than the mental illness developed after."

Dr Cantrell said in his view Osbourne would be greatly helped by a hospital order with a restriction order.

He said on average patients spent just under four years detained under the orders and then eight and a half years during which they could be recalled.

Passing a hospital order and restriction order without limit Judge Douglas Field said "You were convicted of a very serious offence of arson being reckless as to whether or not life would be endangered.

"The premises was your parent's home of long standing.

"They were in bed at the time. It was of great fortune that they managed to get out of the property in time without serious injury."

Osbourne, who has twice been previously sectioned under the Mental Health Act, started the blaze in October last year.

His parents, Graham and Jennifer, were woken by the fire at 5am. As they fled the house they were confronted by Lawrie standing calmly outside.

Seeing the flames his mother asked him if he had called the fire brigade to which he replied "No, should I?" before dialling 999 on his mobile.

Osbourne denied starting the fire. He claimed some people from Pewsey who had it in for him had been breaking into the house and moving things about.

He has been detained at Fromeside Clinic, a medium secure hospital near Bristol, for much of the time since the fire.

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