Man guilty of trying to start fire outside house with baby inside

A man who started a fire outside a house endangering a six-month-old baby was facing a lengthy jail sentence today after taking part in a spate of violence.

Dylan Mason, 21, tried to set the front door of the home alight in the early hours of the morning on August 12 last year.

Mason and co-accused Beverley Bruce, 51, were originally charged with attempting to murder Diane Wiseman and the baby following the blaze at Murison Place, in Fraserburgh, in Aberdeenshire.

Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh Mason was acquitted of the murder bid and convicted of a lesser charge of wilfully attempting to set fire to the front door to the danger of the lives of occupants.

Mason's defence counsel Stephen Hughes told the court: "This is clearly a serious offence for which there will be a sentence of imprisonment.

Bruce, of Beauly Place, Fraserburgh, was cleared of the entire offence after a jury returned a not proven verdict in her case.

Mason was linked to the blaze through DNA evidence.

The fire was discovered by a neighbour, Nerjus Dambauskas, who was leaving his home with his wife. He said: "The flame was so massive it covered the whole door. It was so bright and it looked like it was recently set."

He said: "As I understood it was an arson as door's don't normally go on fire."

Emergency services were contacted and he acted to alert the woman in the house. He told the court: "I thought she was still asleep and wasn't aware of what was happening." The fire was brought under control.

Following the conclusion of the trial Mason was returned to the dock with another three co-accused who had all admitted further charges of assault committed in the Aberdeenshire town in September last year.

The court heard that Mason, Reece Gaughan, 23, Lee Murphy, 24, and Michael O'Brien, 22, had all lived at addresses in Liverpool and the Fraserburgh area.

During one attack one victim, Mauro Cardoso, was struck in the face with a machete, leaving him permanently scarred, during a robbery for £800.

Advocate depute Eric Robertson said Mr Cardoso, who is of Angolan ethnicity, was at a house in the town's Academy Road on September 10 with others.

Mason, Gaughan and O'Brien tried to force entry to a bedroom at the property.

Gaughan then repeatedly swung a machete at Mr Cardoso and another man.

Mr Robertson said: "Mauro Cardoso was struck once to the left cheek, causing it to gape open and bleed extensively."

The victim told Gaughan, O'Brien and Mason that he had £800 in cash in a trainer after demands were made for money and drugs.

Police later recovered the machete and a Halloween style mask from a house in nearby Sandhaven.

They were remanded in custody for the preparation of background reports ahead of sentencing in October.