Man torched truck with driver sleeping inside

George Brownlie carried out a string of random fires near his flat in Glasgow's Scotstoun in July 2025.

The 54-year-old first targeted a garage in the city's Balmoral Street around 2am.

He opened a bin there, set the contents alight before shutting it and walking off.

Prosecutor Alasdair Shaw today told the High Court in Glasgow: "The fire then grew, took hold and caused damage to nearby cars and garage property."

There was a £27,000 repair bill as a result of what Brownlie did.

He later ended up in nearby South Street.

Brownlie approached the rear of a parked transporter which had around 12 scrap vehicles on the trailer.

He again sparked a blaze there, "engulfing" the motors.

A motorist spotted the transporter on fire, got out and banged on the cab's windows.

Driver Joseph McInnes was asleep and unaware of what had happened.

He quickly managed to disconnect the cab from the trailer and move it away from the fire. A 999 call was then made.

Brownlie then set alight a Ford Transit van and a Citroen car in Curle Street, Whiteinch, causing damage to both.

The final incident was around two weeks later when he torched a Peugeot motor in an underground car park near his home.

He was caught after a CCTV trawl by police.

Brownlie today admitted to four wilful fire-raising charges.

Judge Lord Arthurson put to Brownlie's lawyer Allan MacLeod: "What do I make of this? There must be some explanation?"

Mr MacLeod said Brownlie's mother had died months before the crimes, leading him to turn to drink and both prescribed and illegal drugs.

The advocate added: "There is a period of two months of his life which he has no recollection whatsoever of anything that happened.

"The offences happened within that period. He is utterly ashamed of his conduct."

Lord Arthurson jailed him for a total of five years and three months.

The term was cut from seven years due to the guilty pleas.