A man who tried to set fire to a block of flats and a local chip shop in Paisley has died in prison before learning his fate in court.
Paul Smith, 42, sparked multiple fires in the early hours of September 2, 2024 — first targeting his own front door and a neighbour’s letterbox with accelerant, before torching a car outside and then setting fire to the shutters of a nearby takeaway.
When police caught up with him, he was found hiding with a knife tucked into his trousers.
Smith admitted to attempted fire-raising, wilful fire-raising and carrying a blade in public when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow.
He was due to be sentenced this month but died in custody at HMP Low Moss on May 11. A Fatal Accident Inquiry will now be held.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said:
“Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities, is a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual.”
Paisley Photographs 