A messenger who tried to kill a boy and a man by setting a fire outside their door inside an apartment building has been jailed for six years.
Craig McQuillian, 44, was captured on camera starting the gasoline fire on the 10th floor of a 14-story tenement in Edinburgh.
A court heard a young man inside the flat smelled burning while in bed and raised the alarm by shouting “fire”.
A man, who was also at the property, managed to extinguish the flames blocking his only escape route using a wet towel before emergency services arrived at the scene.
Photo: Crown Office
Although no one was injured, the sentencing judge made reference to the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017, in which 72 people died after a fire ripped through the 24-storey London apartment block.
Lord Mulholland told McQuillian: “You have pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder.
“If it wasn’t for the quick thinking and courage of one of the occupants in putting it out, you could have been facing murder charges.
“You only need to look at Grenfell Tower to know the consequences of actions like yours.
“However, you missed the target, leaving the occupants to their fate.”
Craig McQuillian sets fire. Photo: Crown Office
Photo: Crown Office
The incident occurred around 11:30 pm on November 12, 2023.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that McQuillian set the fire in a targeted attack on the older victim, in response to the man’s alleged harassment of a family member.
McQuillian, who worked as a courier delivering organs for the NHS, was captured on CCTV entering the apartment block with a metal crowbar and a plastic bag containing a container full of petrol.
After setting fire to spilled accelerant outside the apartment door, McQuillian was seen fleeing the scene.
A neighbor, whose doorbell camera recorded the attack, called 999 when he was alerted to the incident via a notification via an app on his phone.
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The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said a Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) commander reported that the fire could have spread throughout the building, creating a risk of additional casualties and damage to neighboring properties.
The court heard that McQuillian, who lived in Stirling before his arrest, began crying when he learned a child was present at the property.
McQuillian pleaded guilty Tuesday to intentional arson, endangerment of life and attempted murder. He was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday.
Moira Orr, COPFS homicide and serious crime department lead, said: “This was an extremely reckless act which could have had devastating consequences if it were not for the courageous and swift actions of its victims.
“Craig McQuillian carefully planned this targeted attack, which occurred when most residents would have been asleep in bed.
“It was only by luck that the child smelled burning and managed to raise the alarm in time.
“McQuillian will now have to face the consequences of his callous actions and I hope this conviction provides some comfort to his victims.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
