A FARMING community that lived in fear is safe again after an arsonist was jailed for nine months. Robert Foard, 28, is behind bars after being found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of starting three fires including one on the Blackmoor Estate in the summer of 2006, on Friday. The conviction has pleased Pc Simon Dear. As the investigating officer for the patch, Pc Dear said there had been "a great deal of unrest and fear" in the community following the incidents and that the conviction would help to appease the public who were concerned over a reoccurrence. In court Foard was said to have committed the offences because he "simply flipped" over spiralling debts of £25,000. Carys Owen, mitigating, urged Judge Guy Boney QC to recognise the exceptional circumstances of the crimes and impose a non-custodial sentence. But the judge said the offences were so serious that he was bound to jail Foard. The court heard Foard, a garden maintenance worker, formerly of Norton Farm Cottages, Selborne Road, Alton, had earlier this year admitted three charges of arson. Edward Phillips, prosecuting, said the first was on June 24, 2006, at a garage of a neighbour's house in Selborne Road, Alton. The second, on July 25, was at a barn at Norton Farm, Farringdon, when 500 small bales of hay were destroyed, causing damage estimated at £12,000. The third was on September 5 at Albury Dairy on the Blackmoor Estate, near Bordon, when damage was put at £29,400. Over the fire in the domestic garage, at an earlier hearing, Foard denied the more serious charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and the prosecution accepted the plea. He had denied three other arsons and those pleas too were also accepted by prosecutors. Miss Owen said: "The pressures on Mr Foard in the summer of 2006 were exceptional. He has been suffering financial pressures that had got so bad the defendant was hiding letters, burning them, destroying them so his wife Rachel couldn't see them." At that time he had fallen out with his father, with whom he worked, and was employed by a man his father did not like, said Miss Owen. Foard was earning around £900 a month and his wife about £800 to £900. Their rent was £650 and Foard was contributing to the upkeep of his son, she added. "In summer 2006 he was isolated from his father, he had isolated himself from his wife, he had big financial problems and was not dealing with it. He was burying his head in the sand. "It was enormous pressure and he simply flipped. His method of dealing with it was that he committed arson. He didn't endanger life and he knew it was not endangering life." She added: "He is not mentally ill but the pressures were unbearable for him and he broke." Miss Owen said since his arrest Foard had settled his differences with his father and was now living with his parents in Liphook. His parents and wife were in the public gallery giving him their support, she said. Living with them meant the couple had been able to almost wholly pay off their debts. She said Foard was now stronger and would be able to speak to his wife about problems and approach his parents. "He has got insight into his problems." His current employer was aware of the offences and was standing by him too, said Miss Owen. "These are dangerous offences but he is not a dangerous man. He does not pose harm to the public. He has devastated his wife and family and caused incredible harm to others but he has moved on. "He is not a criminal. He is dealing with his problems and been greatly assisted by his friends and family." Sentencing, the judge told Foard: "You are before the court today having committed three arsons to the extent of damage of £40,000 over six to eight weeks. Any offence of arson in an agricultural community is always serious. "Farmers' barns are very vulnerable because this kind of offence is so easy to do. These aren't trivial offences and what concerns me is the message that could go out from this case that deliberate damage can be caused without significant punishment resulting. "The psychiatrist finds it impossible to give the real reason for this, except you were under extreme pressure at the time. For these pressures one has considerable sympathy but I accept you are not a dangerous man. If I thought you were this case would be very different. These offences have to be visited by custodial sentences." He said he would make it as short as he could. Foard was jailed for nine months concurrent on all three offences. He showed no emotion as he was led away.
