Man who threatened to set his house alight had ‘grudge’ against police

30-year-old ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation

A Port St Mary man who threatened to set his house alight because of a 'grudge' with police has been ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation.

Aidan Christopher Bainton, of Victoria Road, was convicted of wasting police time following a trial at Douglas Courthouse in July.

Yesterday (23 August) he was sentenced for the offence which High Bailiff Jayne Hughes described as a ‘serious one’.

The 30-year-old had called emergency services in the early hours of 13 June – when police officers arrived at his property Bainton was threatening to set a petrol can, on a windowsill, on fire.

Neighbouring properties had to be evacuated and a public order team, police negotiator and the fire service were also called to attend.

Officers spent more than seven hours, between 2.51am and 10am, negotiating with him; time the high bailiff said could have been spent ‘far better elsewhere’.

After Bainton was arrested it was discovered that the petrol can had been empty.

High Bailiff Hughes said Bainton’s issue with police stemmed from how an unrelated theft matter had been handled: “It was your intoxication, as well as your grudge against the police, that led you to act as you did,” she told him.  

His ‘deliberate’ behaviour was said to have cost the Department of Home Affairs £3,000.

Bainton has already spent the equivalent of a 20-week sentence on remand at the Isle of Man Prison with his advocate adding: “The last 10-weeks have given him significant time to think about his life choices.”  

Imposing an 18-month probation order High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered Bainton to pay £800 in prosecution costs.