Wisbech man jailed for arson following Lowestoft house fire in 2019

A Wisbech man has been jailed for arson after setting a property on fire and endangering others' lives in 2019.

Dean Clark, 58, of Anchor View, was sentenced to nine years in prison with an extended period of five years on licence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, March 11.

It comes as he was found guilty of arson with recklessness to endanger life by a jury at a previous hearing.

The incident took place on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 when officers were called to Maidstone Road in Lowestoft at around 8.40pm to reports of a house fire.

The fire caused significant damage to the home and a number of other terraced houses but no one was injured in the blaze.

Clark was arrested on Friday, March 29 on suspicion of arson and was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre where he was questioned. He was subsequently summonsed to court to face a charge of arson.

He was also sentenced for an arson committed in Essex in June 2021, which he also denied, whilst he was on bail for the Lowestoft offence. In this instance Clark set fire to a caravan in a yard belonging to his brother.

DC Chris Thompson from Lowestoft CID said: “This was an extremely nasty incident that could have seen people serious hurt or worse because of Clark’s irresponsible and dangerous actions.

"He will now have plenty of time to reflect on what he did. He also caused considerable damage to several properties on Maidstone Road, consequently causing widespread disruption and inconvenience for many residents.”