“MY boat is going to go into….f***** flames,” a man allegedly said moments before a fire broke out in his canal boat.

James Jonas is on trial at Oxford Crown Court charged with several offences, including one count of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

It is alleged that the 38-year-old set his boat, The Happy Go Lucky, on fire on August 19 last year in the Duke’s Cut Waterway canal near Gosford after a dispute with his neighbour, David Hartland.

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A jury heard on Monday (April 15) that Jonas allegedly owned Mr Hartland money and the pair had an informal agreement that if he didn’t pay, Mr Hartland would take ownership of his boat.

Jonas, of Woodstock Road, Oxford, was also charged with one count each of assault by beating of Mr Hartland, assault of an emergency worker, assault occasioning actual bodily harm of William Cross and intimidation of Mr Hartland knowing he would be a witness in impending proceedings.

He has denied all offences.

Opening the case on Monday, prosecutor Kat Shields said: “He inflicted violence on a neighbour, a police officer and even a complete stranger, most seriously his behaviour included an incident of arson.

“The Crown say he set fire to a boat he was living on, being a danger to people, animals and property in the immediate area.

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“Mr Jonas went into the home of one of the witnesses in the case in order to intimidate him and made comments about the police investigation and threatened to burn him out and his boat.

“The defendant lived on the boat on an irregular basis.

"Immediately next to that boat was where David Hartland lived. Mr Jonas owed Mr Hartland some money, they made an informal agreement that if he couldn’t pay him back, then Mr Hatland would take possession of the boat.”

Ms Shields then played 999 calls made by Mr Hartland on the day of the fire, where he tells police Jonas is ‘shouting and throwing items’ at him.

Following his calls, an unidentified 999 call is made, which the Crown say was Jonas, and a man could be heard saying: “My boat is going to go into fire, f***** flames in a minute.”

Officers arrived at the riverside to find the boat already up in flames.

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Body-worn footage from an officer allegedly shows Jonas running from the area shouting: “It’s my f****** boat.”

Due to the damage of the boat, a proper fire investigation could not be carried out.

The trial continues.