A JAIL sentence has been handed to a man who set fire to his own canal boat, endangering a river canal community.

James Jonas was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday (July 29) for several offences, including one count of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

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.

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Sentencing him to three years imprisonment, Judge Ian Pringle said: “It’s clear from your behaviour, things were not going well.

(Image: Public submission)

“The danger about arson is the potential it can wreak. It can lead to a loss of life.”

The offences took place between July 16 and August 20 last year.

The court heard Jonas had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with his neighbour, David Hartland.

Jonas owned Mr Hartland £300 and the pair had an informal agreement that if he didn’t pay, Mr Hartland would take ownership of his boat.

However, Jonas instead set fire to the boat after punching Mr Hartland in the face.

The boat was too severely damaged for fire crews to determine the cause of the fire but Jonas claimed in trial it was a cigarette butt.

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It took ‘significant police resources’ to locate Jonas after the fire was set and when he was found, he punched an officer twice before jumping into the canal.

Whilst in the canal, he shouted: “I’m the Angel Gabriel, I’m here to save you.”

While on bail, he breached court orders and returned twice to the towpath. During the first visit, he punched a stranger in the face in a ‘wholly, unprovoked’ attack.

On the second visit, he intimidated Mr Hartland, saying: “I know what you’re doing with the police. I’m going to burn you out.”

(Image: Handout)

Jonas, of Woodstock Road, Oxford, was found guilty after a trial of one count each of common assault, arson, and intimidating a witness.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and assault occasioning actual bodily a day before the jury retired.

The court heard he has 11 convictions for 16 previous offences.

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Defending Jonas, his barrister Peter De Feu said his client appeared to have been ‘unravelling’ and the offending would not have occurred ‘if it wasn’t for underlying problems’.

He said: “In terms of the attempt to analyse quite what was going on, the defendant was reluctant for me to say what was going on in detail as it’s his personal life.

“There is huge family support for this defendant. His partner just wants her James back.”