Two men who attempted to petrol bomb a house in Carlisle have been sentenced to prison today (12 March).
Liam Gearing, 19, formerly of Warwick Square in Carlisle but latterly of Regent Square in Carlisle and Harry Robinson, 22, of Swann Lane in Carlisle both admitted charges of attempting to commit arson with intent to endanger life.
The court heard how the two men pulled up in a car outside an address in South Street in Carlisle on the evening of 28 May, 2023.
Both were dressed in dark clothing with hoods up, whilst Robinson was also wearing a mask.
Gearing took out a bottle of spirits wrapped in a brown paper bag and attempted to light it before throwing it into an address.
The victim described hearing someone banging and kicking her front door, leading up to the incident.
She then heard someone shout “he’s thrown a petrol bomb in!” as a bottle with a lit rag at the top smashed inside her home.
Thankfully, the woman was able to quickly douse the flames with jugs of water.
Both men were arrested and subsequently admitted the offences at court, where they were each sentenced to 54 months.
Detective Sergeant Gary Story said: “This was an incident which could easily have resulted in tragedy.
“Any incident which involves flames and a family home is a terrible mixture and both defendants should be thankful that their actions did not have more serious consequences.”