Wellingborough and Rushden arsonists attacked shop with petrol bombs

Joshua Bradley, 23, from Keswick in Wellingborough, and Derice Davis, also 23, from Station Road in Rushden, sniggered and laughed as their crimes were read out at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (March 14).

Using wine bottles full of petrol and burning socks for fuses, the pair attacked and set fire to BestPol and Euro supermarkets in Kettering Road, Northampton, while workers were inside in April last year.

Recorder David Chinery, who sentenced the two men, said: “I don’t know why this building was targeted.

“But there were men working in there at the time and their lives were in danger.”

The court heard how CCTV captured the pair arriving, pulling into nearby Queen’s Road at about 3.30am.

Minutes later, the pair threw lit petrol bombs at the first floor above the BestPol Supermarket and then fled.

Two bakers were working inside at the time and called the fire brigade when they saw the blaze spreading.

Nobody was hurt in the attack.

Police were able to track down and arrest the two men after they were spotted on CCTV arriving at the scene in a distinctive orange Subaru.

When officers searched the car – which they found parked outside Davis’ flat – they discovered wine bottles, petrol cans, a crowbar and a sock soaked with fuel.

They both later pleaded guilty to arson.

They said they did not know anyone was inside.

The court heard that the motive behind the attack was still not known.

Mr Chinery said: “What I do know is that the lives of innocent people were at risk, with damage running into the thousands of pounds.”

The pair were both jailed for five years and six months.