Sign in Subscribe
Police officers

Man Found Guilty of Assault and Arson in Stafford Court

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A 21-year-old man has been found guilty of multiple charges after a disturbing incident in which he threw a bottle at two women, one of whom managed to avoid being hit, and then set fire to his own room on March 11. Kyle Purcell, 21, was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating, one count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place, and one count of arson. The court heard that Purcell attacked the women in separate incidents, leaving them both distressed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Kyle Purcell, 21, was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating, one count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place, and one count of arson.
  • Purcell threw a bottle at one woman, who managed to avoid being hit, and then swung a bottle at another woman's head.
  • Within minutes of the second assault, Purcell returned to his flat and set fire to it, but firefighters quickly extinguished it and no one in the building was injured.
  • The fire in the house of multiple occupation had the potential to cause serious consequences for the other residents.
  • Det Con Reece Hingley attributed Purcell's actions as "putting himself and others in serious danger when he set a fire in his room."
  • Rob Horton from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service highlighted the importance of fire alarms in alerting residents to a fire and allowing them to move to safety.
  • Purcell has been remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing date at Stafford Crown Court on November 10.

Statistics:

  • 21-year-old Kyle Purcell was found guilty of multiple charges.
  • 2 counts of assault by beating.
  • 1 count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.
  • 1 count of arson.
  • 01:10 PM on March 11, the alleged incident occurred.
  • 9:10 PM, the first assault occurred on Station Street.
  • Stafford Crown Court, where the trial took place.
  • Stafford Crown Court, where Purcell will be sentenced on November 10.

Sources:

  • Stafford Crown Court reports
  • Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service
  • Telegraph.co.uk

Read more