Foolish use of tea lights by Nairn woman caused £25k worth of damage to local authority house, Inverness Sheriff Court hears
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More than £25,000 worth of damage was caused to a Nairn local authority house after a woman recklessly lit tea lights near furniture and a bed.
But 36-year-old Gemma Robertson’s solicitor advocate Neil Wilson described his client’s crime as “feckless rather than reckless” when she appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court.
He told Sheriff Sara Matheson after Robertson of Moss-side Brae, Nairn admitted culpable and reckless conduct: “It was a foolish thing to do.”
The court was told by fiscal depute Susan Love that several tea lights were placed around the house at about 1am on May 5, 2018 when Robertson was alone in the property.
“They set a sofa and a bed alight and the fire spread to the rest of the house,” she said, adding Robertson called emergency services.
“The cost of reinstatement of the house was £25,608.45,” Ms Love added.
Mr Wilson told the sheriff: “She has been suffering from a psychotic illness since the age of 20 or 21 and I have been representing her. But she has stayed out of trouble for the past four years. She has settled down with a good boyfriend and takes her medication regularly which is keeping her out of trouble.”
Sentence was deferred until March 22 for a background report and a restriction of liberty order. Robertson was released on bail. She had been remanded in custody because she failed to appear for an earlier court hearing.
