A homeless man has pleaded guilty to setting a boat on fire at an Oxford canal.
Tim Fish, of no fixed abode, had been due to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, April 27.
The 39-year-old was charged with one count of arson, being reckless as to whether life was in danger.
He pleaded guilty before the trial was due to start in court this week.
The court heard Fish set fire to a narrowboat on October 29 last year.
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According to the court record, the incident took place at Duke's Cut Lock, Oxford Canal, Gosford, and the boat belonged to a man called Max Lamb.
The court record stated: "On October 29 at Duke's Cut Lock, Oxford Canal, Gosford, Oxfordshire, the accused committed arson in that without lawful excuse damaged by fire a narrow boat to the value of unknown belonging to Max Lamb, intending to destroy or damage property or being reckless as to whether property would be destroyed or damaged and intending by the damage to endanger the life of another person."
A pre-sentence report was ordered so that the Judge can determine dangerousness in this case.
Judge Michael Roques explained to Fish that his sentence would be adjourned so that the Probation Service could interview him for their report.
He will remain in custody before his sentencing at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 22.
There have been multiple incidents of arson involving boats in Oxford over the years.
In 2024, James Jonas was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court for several offences, including one count of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.
Aged 38 at the time, the court heard he set his boat, The Happy Go Lucky, on fire on August 19, 2023 in the Duke’s Cut Waterway canal near Gosford.
Sentencing him to three years' imprisonment, Judge Ian Pringle said: “It’s clear from your behaviour, things were not going well.
“The danger about arson is the potential it can wreak. It can lead to a loss of life.”
Two boats were also destroyed by flames in Jericho in Castle Mill Stream in October 2019.
Locals woke up to the sounds of sirens and saw thick smoke following the incident at 7.10am.
It comes as three men are accused of plotting arson attacks on property linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Ukrainians Roman Lavrynovych, 22, Petro Pochynok, 35, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, are charged with conspiracy to damage property by fire between April 1 and May 13 last year.
A trial is expected to continue until the end of May.
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