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Team work helped jail arsonist
Team work between police and fire crews was praised after an arsonist, branded a "significant danger to the public" by a judge, was jailed.
A letter from the Crown Court sent to the emergency services congratulated the team whose evidence was pivotal in bringing Darren Kay to justice.
During his trial at St Albans Crown Court on June 2, the court heard how Kay tried to gouge out a police officer's eye in Berkhamsted.
Kay, of High Street, Berkhamsted, had been jailed for ten years in 1997 after he lured a 14 year old girl to a playground, beat her with an iron bar then stripped her and violently sexually assaulted her before setting her hair on fire.
During his recent trial he pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest and a further charge of arson.
On August 7 last year police were called to a Chinese restaurant in the High Street after paint poured over staff.
Following a struggle with a PC, Kay punched him repeatedly then gouged his eye with his thumb before putting his hands around his neck and 'squeezing'.
The attack was only brought to an end when other officers arrived.
Two weeks later, while on bail for assaulting the officer and resisting arrest, Kay poured a gallon of petrol over a sofa at a converted garage he had been living in on the High Street and set the place ablaze.
The court heard Kay had racked up convictions for 14 offences including resisting arrest, battery after he assaulted an ex-girlfriend, and motoring offences.
He was jailed for four years for the arson and 12 months for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest, to run consecutively with each other.
A six month concurrent sentence for failing to adhere to notification requirements following his release after his assault on the young girl was also imposed.
Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "We have assisted the police in a number of arson prosecutions and I'm glad to see the hard work of everyone involved is beginning to pay dividends.
"We want to send a clear message that arson will not be tolerated."
Keith Emsall, county chief for community safety and culture said: "The evidence of our fire officers, combined with police intelligence and investigative skills means that we are able to bring out about successful prosecutions, even when people think they've covered their tracks. I'd like to pass my personal thanks to all of the officers involved in the case, and pledge our continued support to our partners in the police."
Detective Sergeant Alistair Jones from Hemel Hempstead area crime, said: "I would like to thank our colleagues in the fire service for their hard work in providing vital evidence in both cases and hope to work with them to solve other cases."
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Friday 25 May 2012
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