AN ARSONIST who told a judge, “I like fire, I ain’t going to stop”, has admitted starting a devastating blaze which gutted a Newport city centre building.

Sam Price admitted being responsible for an inferno which raged throughout the early morning hours in Upper Dock Street last August.

At the blaze’s peak, up to 35 firefighters worked to tackle the flames while other fire personnel – with the help of Gwent Police – sealed off the roads in and around the building.

At Cardiff Crown Court, Sam Price, 23, of Maendy Way, Cwmbran, pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered on August 17-18 at the building which belonged to Noor Estates Limited.

He also admitted the same charge after he started a fire in the city’s Commercial Street a few days later on September 5, 2017.

Price also pleaded guilty to making threats to kill Sharon Jacobson, her daughter Sky Jacobson and Lewis Kitt on January 22 this year.

A co-defendant in the case, Justin Lewis, 23, of Albert Street, Newport, pleaded not guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered on August 17-18 in Upper Dock Street.

He is due to stand trial on that charge, set to begin on June 28.

At a previous hearing in Newport Crown Court last month, Price told Judge Daniel Williams he wanted to plead guilty, saying: “I like fire, I ain’t going to stop.”

He then went on to say about the three people he had threatened: “I’m going to kill them. This is a promise.”

His barrister Harry Baker had argued that he wanted a psychiatric report to be prepared for his client and he admitted his guilt during these latest proceedings.

In the latest hearing, before Judge Stephen Hopkins, QC, at Cardiff Crown Court, the prosecutor was David Pugh, while Price was again represented by Mr Baker, and Lewis by Lowri Wynn Morgan.

The judge remanded the pair in custody with Price due to be sentenced after the trial is over.