AN ARSONIST who told a judge, “I like fire, I ain’t going to stop”, has been told he could be facing a life sentence for 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 Newport Crown Court, Sam Price, 23, of Maendy Way, Cwmbran, was due to be sentenced after he 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.

But his case, and that of co-defendant, “talented” graffiti artist and street magician Justin Lewis, also aged 23, of Albert Street, Newport, who was convicted of the same charge after a trial, was adjourned because of the late serving of a psychiatric report.

Price also admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered after he started a fire in the city’s Commercial Street a few days later on September 5, 2017.

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

At a previous hearing, he told Judge Daniel Williams: “I like fire, I ain’t going to stop.”

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

Adjourning sentence on Price and Lewis until Wednesday, August 29, Judge Williams told the former he could be facing a life sentence or an extended sentence for the protection of the public.

The judge said of Price: “I am very troubled by the contents of the pre-sentence report.”

Both defendants were remanded in custody.