Arsonist admits setting fire to hospital and university
A man has admitted starting fires at Royal Stoke hospital and Staffordshire University.
Thomas Ashcroft, aged 39, from Musgrave Crescent, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to three charges of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, when appearing at Stafford Crown Court today.
One of the incidents saw hundreds of patients evacuated from Royal Stoke on June 7.
It emerged he had set alight to Staffordshire University’s Beacon building earlier that day.
The third count of arson, as well as an additional charge of burglary, concerned a break-in to Southampton Museum on June 6.
Ashcroft had initially been charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of an 89-year-old woman who was a patient at Royal Stoke when he set fire to the hospital, but the accusation was dropped during today's hearing.
He will be sentenced in February.
