Brave young victim stops man's attempted murder; suspect jailed
Craig McQuillian, a 44-year-old individual, was sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to murder a man and a young boy by starting a fire outside their high-rise flat. The incident occurred at the 14-storey Fidra Court building in Edinburgh on November 12. McQuillian was captured on CCTV carrying a metal crowbar, a plastic bag with petrol, and was seen setting fire to the door of one of the flats, before fleeing the scene. The attack was well-planned as he targeted the victims when most residents would have been asleep in bed. Fortunately, the occupants of the flat, a young boy and a man, were able to escape harm. The young boy detected the smell of burning and raised the alarm, allowing the man to extinguish the flames with a wet towel before they could spread. McQuillian admitted to one charge of wilful fire-raising, danger to life, and attempted murder in court. The sentencing took place at the High Court in Edinburgh, where he received a six-year prison term. Moira Orr