A NEWPORT student doused a family’s home and garden with fuel and threatened to set them alight in a revenge attack, a court heard.

But Farah Hashi had a “mistaken belief” the occupants of the house on Castle Street, Pill, were responsible for an earlier attack on him.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the attempt to commit arson came just hours after the 19- year-old, of Price Close, banged on the front door at 3am, put a length of wood through the letterbox and then threw it at the window.

The court heard police attended, saw his erratic behaviour and he was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Prosecutor Eugene Egan said Hashi, under the infleunce of drink or drugs, had to be put in an armlock at one point and it was impossible for a doctor to complete the usual tests because of his lack of co-operation.

On release from hospital, Hashi booked a taxi at 10.25am which took him to a garage where he purchased diesel.

Twenty minutes later he was seen holding a fuel can in Castle Street by one of the occupants, Darren McNulty.

The court heard Hashi doused the garden, doorstep and front of the property, shouting he was going to burn the house down, sparking a lighter a few times before being tackled by one of the residents, and the police were called.

David Leathley, defending, said his client did not accept anything was pushed through the letterbox and he carried out the incident to scare the occupants as he wrongly thought they were responsible for an attack on him.

He said he studies at Newport High School, harbours ambitions of becoming a scientist and picked diesel as he knew it was less flammable than petrol.

Hashi pleaded guilty to attempting to commit arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and affray.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Hashi to four years in a young offenders institution, with a concurren