SIMON QUIN FROM GOREBRIDGE SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS FOR FIRE BOMB ATTACK ON HOUSE WHERE RAPE VICTIM AND CHILD WERE STAYING

A man identified as Simon Quin, aged 28, has been sentenced to a five-year prison term after being convicted of orchestrating a revenge firebombing on a residence in Gorebridge, Midlothian. The attack was carried out with the intent to target a woman who had previously been a victim of rape, and it took place in the early hours of June 11 last year.

According to court reports, Quin, who resides in Temple, Midlothian, along with an accomplice, used a plastic bottle filled with petrol as an incendiary device. They hurled this makeshift bomb directly at the front window of the house where the 23-year-old woman was staying with her three-year-old son. The attack resulted in significant damage to both the property and the surrounding garden, causing alarm and chaos among the residents.

It was established during the trial that Quin had a connection to Shane Ramsay, aged 22, who was previously sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting two women last year, including the woman targeted in this firebombing. Quin initially denied any involvement in culpably and recklessly igniting the petrol-filled bottle and throwing it at the house, actions which posed a serious danger to everyone inside. However, after a thorough trial, the jury found him guilty of these charges.

During the sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Arthurson described Quin’s actions as “a particularly cowardly and despicable one.” The judge emphasized that such criminal conduct warranted a substantial custodial sentence. While considering Quin’s stable family background and the assessment that he posed a minimal risk of reoffending, Lord Arthurson made it clear that the severity of the crime justified a lengthy prison term.

The victim, who was present during the trial, recounted the terrifying moment of the attack. She explained, “It happened so fast. As soon as I saw it coming I screamed ‘fire’. It woke everyone in the house. I saw fire all over the window.” She further described how she quickly moved upstairs to ensure her sister, partner, and young son were safe, managing to escape uninjured along with other family members following the incident.

Forensic evidence played a role in linking Quin to the crime; his DNA was recovered from a cigarette butt found near the scene. Defense counsel Ronnie Renucci QC acknowledged Quin’s understanding that prison was inevitable after his conviction. He also highlighted that Quin would find incarceration particularly challenging, as it was a “completely foreign environment” for him. Renucci added that Quin had already experienced prison life during his remand period, describing it as “a salutary and harrowing experience.”