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A judge has put off passing sentence on a man who set fire to the family home while his parents slept.

Lawrie Osbourne, who has mental health problems, started the blaze which destroyed the timber framed bungalow at Littleworth, Pewsey, in October last year.

Now the 27 year old could be detained in a secure hospital until he is deemed safe for release back into society.

Osbournes parents, Graham and Jennifer were asleep when they were woken by their bedroom door opening about 5am and their son standing there.

He quickly shut the door and they went back to sleep but shortly after, they were woken by the sound and the smell of the fire.

As they fled the house, Graham naked and Jennifer in a nightdress, they were confronted by Lawrie standing calmly outside.

Seeing the flames ripping through the bungalow, his mum asked him if he had called the fire brigade to which he replied "no, should I?", before dialling 999 on his mobile.

The jury at Swindon Crown Court was told how Lawrie, one of the couples two sons, had a history of mental health problems.

He had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act twice before and his family told how he had been acting strangely in the run up to the fire.

Osbourne of The Cedars, Littleworth, denied starting the fire and stood trial charged with arson with intent to endanger life and arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, the jury convicted him of the lesser charge.

He had claimed some people from Pewsey who had it in for him had been breaking into the house and moving things about and must have started the blaze.

Judge Douglas Field said that were it not for the mental health problems, he would jail Osbourne for public protection, meaning he would effectively pass a life sentence.

However he said the prisons had enough problems with people suffering from psychiatric illnesses so he wanted to pass a hospital order.

The judge said he also wished to impose a restriction order, meaning Osbourne would only be released when he was "cured", but needed oral evidence from the doctor.

He adjourned the case to Wednesday May 12th, when a psychiatrist is expected to attend the hearing.

In the meantime Osbourne has been remanded back to a secure unit near Bristol.

1:34pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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