A paranoid schizophrenic who set fire to Murray Royal Hospital in Perth because he “wanted to kill people and burn the place down” has been sent back there.
Stewart McVeigh, 33, was a patient of the low security Esk Ward at the hospital when he torched his room after a lengthy period of being aggressive towards staff.
A long-term patient of the facility and a former resident of the state hospital at Carstairs, McVeigh appeared for sentencing at Forfar Sheriff Court after medical experts said he knew the difference between right and wrong and was able to plead.
He had earlier admitted an indictment alleging that on September 9 last year at the Esk Ward of Murray Royal he set fire to furnishings, causing smoke damage.
Depute fiscal Hazel Anderson said McVeigh had been at Murray Royal since 2008 and was known to police following previous assaults on staff there.
He also has a conviction for a similar fire offence from 1999.
The fiscal said that at around 4pm on the day of the offence McVeigh had been in the garden at Murray Royal for a “time out session” following an earlier incident.
“He absconded from a staff member’s care and headed into Perth city centre before being traced to the bus station,” she added.
McVeigh was returned to Murray Royal but became abusive towards staff and, after being given his normal medication, was returned to his room and placed under observation.
Around 40 minutes after the 8pm staff handover, the fire alarm began operating.
All patients were evacuated and accounted for and the fire and rescue service found material in McVeigh’s room to be alight and extinguished it.
They discovered the television had been wrapped in material from the window blinds.
Solicitor Laura Clayson said McVeigh accepted responsibility for the offence but denied there had been any element of planning to it.
“He realises he is going to be detained in hospital for some time,” she added.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio imposed a six-month compulsion order on McVeigh.