An arsonist who caused £170,000 worth of damage after setting fire to 18 cars and turned a picturesque town into a ‘warzone’ has pleaded guilty and is facing jail.
David Giddins, 45, went on a drug-fuelled rampage when he began torching parked cars in the rural market town of Wimborne, Dorset.
Giddins went from street to street in the early hours of the morning randomly setting light to the vehicles.
In two incidents the flames spread to neighbouring buildings with one family forced to flee their flat in their pyjamas.
Shocking footage from the time showed the night sky ‘glowing orange’ from the amount of car fires.
By daylight, the area resembled a ‘war zone’ with the blackened burnt-out shells of cars littering the streets.
The vehicles that were destroyed included a £5,000 BMW, a £20,000 Volkswagen Passat and a Land Rover that suffered £3,000 damage.
The fire and smoke damage suffered to a first floor flat after a Ford Ka parked below it was torched ran to £76,000.
David Giddins, 45, caused £170,000 worth of damage after setting fire to 18 cars and turned a picturesque town into a ‘warzone’ has pleaded guilty and is facing jail
He went on a drug-fuelled rampage when he began torching parked cars in the rural market town of Wimborne, Dorset
Giddins went from street to street in the early hours of the morning randomly setting light to the vehicles
In total, it’s estimated that the attacks caused more than £170,000 in damages.
The criminal appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to 20 charges of arson.
Kevin Hill, defending, said: ‘He was at the time of the offences under the influence of drugs and alcohol.’
Giddins will be sentenced in September while probation and psychiatric reports are carried out on him.
The court heard that Giddins, who lives in West Borough in Wimborne, has ‘no formal psychiatric history’ and has not been diagnosed with any mental health conditions.
Judge Fuller also asked for an explanation as to why it has taken the police and CPS so long to bring the case to court.
Adam Furze, prosecuting, said: ‘I don’t have an answer to that. I echo your concerns about how long it has taken. I will ensure a full explanation is given at the sentencing.’
Although he was granted bail, Judge Jonathan Fuller warned the arsonist that was not an indication of what his sentence will be.
A mother and her two young daughters had to flee from in their pyjamas after a Ford Ka parked below was set ablaze. Pictured: Firefighters tackling the blaze engulfing the car
NHS nurse Lisa Dodd ,pictured , 44, was hailed a hero for saving a family at the height of the arson attacks
Another vehicle and a van were seen engulfed in the flames during the attack
Giddins began his arson spree at about 11pm on May 14, 2023, and went on until about 1.30am the next morning.
The fire service received 65 999 calls that night and emergency services rushed to the scene.
An NHS nurse was hailed a hero on the night for saving a terrified family from their burning flat.
Lisa Dodd, 44, was about to go to bed when she noticed a Ford Ka ablaze in a courtyard below the flat where Ruth Thompson and her two teenage daughters live.
Ms Dodd rushed outside and banged on a window to wake the family and alert them to the fire.
By that stage, the flames had spread to the property and Ms Thompson and her daughters had to squeeze through a six-inch gap between the blazing car and their flat to make their escape.
They were made homeless by the arson attack, and all their clothes and belongings have been ruined by water and smoke damage.
The Ford Ka (pictured) car was completely destroyed by the fire
A woman looks at a burned out Ford Ka in the porch of the courtyard after the car fires in Wimborne
This picture shows another vehicle which was touched during the attack in the quaint Dorset town
Ms Dodd said: ‘I immediately ran out to wake them up and get them out.
‘If the engine had exploded and set the door on fire there would have been no way out.
‘I just wanted to get everyone into safety. If I had been a minute later, the fire would have spread.
‘I got to them just in time. It doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened.’
Darren Trickett, 60, whose Land Rover Discovery was destroyed on Grove Road, said: ‘I woke up when I heard a bang. I looked out the window and saw my car in flames. I was worried that the engine might explode.
‘I ran out of the house to try to get the fire extinguisher from the boot but the central locking wouldn’t work. I just stood and watched. I just can’t believe it.’
