Police wasted thousands of pounds investigating faked arson attack setup by tenant

A PCSO guarding Brewer's former flat following the arson allegation (left), Jamie Brewer (right)

A Swindon man who called the police reporting that he had been the victim of an arson attack last year has admitted he made the incident up.

Jamie Brewer, now of Cherry Orchard Lane, Salisbury, phoned 999 on 3 March 2020 to report that someone had set fire to the door mat outside his flat door in Russell Walk.

The 28-year-old was later charged with causing wasteful employment of police after CCTV revealed that there had been no fire or, in fact, an incident of any nature.

Advertisement

Police and a forensic van outside Brewer’s former flat in Walcot, Swindon

Prosecutor Tom Power said the cost of the investigation had been in the thousands of pounds, but the exact amount was not confirmed in court.

Brewer pleaded guilty to the offence. He will be sentenced in March.

Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and get breaking news sent directly to your mobile – don’t forget to turn on notifications by clicking the bell icon.

Click a topic to read more stories like this:

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

By pressing the Subscribe button, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Advertisement