Man sentenced for arson and drug offences

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to a total of five years in prison after pleading guilty to arson at court last month.

Bashkim Nuredini, of no fixed abode, appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to arson, abstracting/using electricity without authority and production of a controlled class B drug - cannabis.

He was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (24 May).

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service was called to a fire at a property in Queensgate Drive, Birstall in the early hours of Saturday 13 April.

The fire, which was in the roof of the property and caused substantial damage, was put out and Nuredini, who was found injured outside, was taken to hospital for minor burns to his hands.

An investigation by fire investigators and police found that the fire was caused after an electric meter had been bypassed into the property. Cannabis growing equipment was recovered from the garage.

Nuredini was subsequently arrested and later charged pleading guilty to all charges in court.

Detective Constable Ian Mundy, who was the investigating officer, said: “Nuredini very dangerously put himself and his family at risk by bypassing the electricity and they were extremely lucky that no-one was seriously injured as a result.

“His actions not only left the house structurally dangerous and unsafe but left the house owners with the inconvenience of its repair at a significant cost.”