Arsonist smashed into a McDonald’s for food days before he torched his own flat
This is the bizarre moment a burglar broke into a McDonald’s drive-thru to steal a bag of food.
Scott Goulding, 24, was captured on CCTV climbing through a smashed window of the fast-food restaurant in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, around 1.20am on January 4 this year.
After smashing a window to enter, footage showed him walking around the service area before fleeing with a bagful of food.
Two days later, emergency services were called a flat in Shireoaks Court, Mansfield, when residents reported a fire at around 5.30am.
People were forced to flee from their properties – with one woman having to jump out of a window to safety.
Goulding was found lying on the floor outside the block of flats and was passing in and out of consciousness.
Fire investigators found Goulding had made a makeshift bonfire in the corner of his flat using a Christmas tree, a mattress and two tables.
Goulding admitted burglary and arson and was jailed for three years and four months after an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court.
DC Kate Hardy, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘Officers on duty that night used their instincts to quickly identify Goulding as a suspect in both these incidents.
‘Arson is always an extremely serious and reckless offence – but to set fire to a flat in a residential area shows a blatant disregard for the life of other people living in that block of flats and the wider neighbourhood.
‘If the flames hadn’t been brought under control so quickly, this fire could have had catastrophic consequences. It is only through good fortune that no one was seriously injured or worse.’
Earlier this week, a McDonald’s customer allegedly shot a Good Samaritan who was trying to help him after he had a meltdown over his order not coming with sauce.
Wesley Bullock, 48, was shouting and cursing at a worker in the drive-thru of the fast food restaurant in Zephyrhills, Florida, according to legal papers.
Another diner asked him to calm down, but he responded by grabbing the victim’s throat and punching him, according to the affidavit.
He later tracked him down to a petrol station, where he attacked him with the gun.
The victim suffered a deep wound on his head when Bullock allegedly used the handgun to hit him on the head, as well as a bite on his finger, and his pinky was apparently struck by a bullet.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.