Kenneth Sherrington, 30, has admitted to a shocking spree of arson attacks in the Grangetown area of Sunderland, where he set fire to nine vehicles over a six-week period from December 2019 to January 2020. The series of deliberate car fires left local residents rattled and fearful for their safety.
The brazen arsonist targeted cars at random, mostly under the cover of darkness. His reckless actions woke homeowners with explosive bangs, prompting neighbours to urgently bang on doors to warn of the blazes. Among the victims was a disabled man who lost his wheelchair when his car was torched, severely impacting his mobility.
Police officers from the Grangetown and Ryhope neighbourhood teams conducted an extensive investigation, reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to link Sherrington to each fire. He was identified wearing the same clothes at the time of his arrest as when setting one of the fires. Although Sherrington refused to cooperate during interviews, he pleaded guilty on May 12 to nine counts of arson causing criminal damage.
Sgt Craig Sherriff of Northumbria Police commented on the case: “Kenneth Sherrington randomly targeted victims in his own community at a time when the majority of people across the North-east were all pulling together and looking out for each other. His actions were selfish and dangerous, setting vehicles on fire under the cover of darkness while his victims were fast asleep.”
He added, “He could have easily killed somebody had the blaze spread to nearby houses. I am delighted that he has now been convicted of his crimes. Special credit goes to PC Emily Milne and the team who pieced together the evidence to bring this dangerous offender to justice. This sends a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated in Northumbria.”
One victim told the court, “My wheelchair was in my car at the time of the fire and this has meant not only am I without my car, but my mobility has been dramatically restricted as my wheelchair has been destroyed. It is quite scary that someone is prepared to set fire to property in such a dangerous location. This incident could have been a lot worse if I had not been woken up.”
Sherrington, who lives on Villette Road, Sunderland, remains in custody and is due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on June 29.
Originally published by UKNIP.
