Troubled Scots dad set his house on fire with son inside claiming ‘devil told him to'
It cost the housing association nearly 100k to fix the damage
BLAZE HORROR Troubled Scots dad set his house on fire with son inside claiming 'devil told him to'
A DAD who set his house on fire while his teenage son was inside claimed the devil told him to do it.
Alexander Reape, 43, caused more than £91,000 of damage at the property in Livingston, West Lothian, on December 19, 2023.
2
Alexander Reape pleaded guilty to wilful fire raising at Glasgow High Court
Credit: Andrew Barr
He set fire to several rooms and later had to be pulled from the property by 18-year-old Alexander junior and their two neighbours.
Reape, of nearby Bathgate, initially faced a charge of attempted murder towards his son.
However, he pleaded guilty yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow to wilfully fire raising to the danger of life.
The court heard that Reape has a history of poor mental health and he failed to be admitted to hospital for his issues on the day of the fire which made him 'angry.'
He told a psychiatrist: 'The devil's voice is telling me to kill my family.'
Later that day, Reape and his son were alone in the property when the boy saw smoke coming from the crack in his bedroom door.
Prosecutor Vish Kathuria said: 'He noticed black smoke coming from the top of the stairs and his father who was holding a disposable lighter.'
The boy also seen smoke coming from other bedrooms in the property.
Mr Kathuria added: 'It appears Reape set fire to bedding in each bedroom.'
The teenager made efforts to grab his dad to get him outside but he resisted.
Dad of Brit Bella Culley, who's being held in Georgia after vanishing on Thai hols, shares his fears
Reape was eventually dragged out but returned to the property where he as noted to set alight a jacket and a set of blinds.
The teenager and two neighbours forced entry and pulled Reape from the house again.
Reape was placed under arrest and told officers: 'The devil's voice told me to do it.'
The teenager meantime was stated to be crying hysterically and was covered in smoke.
2
Alexander Reape at the High Court in Glasgow where he pled guilty to setting fire to the house in Livingston
Credit: Spindrift
Reape was assessed again by a psychiatrist who deemed that he was 'aware of his actions and consequences and would receive prison time.'
The bill for the damage - footed by a housing association - was £91,368 which took 10 months to repair.
Jonathan Crowe, defending, told the court: 'He was having problems with his mental health.
"He sought help and he did not receive it.
'He is under no illusions that what he pleaded guilty to will attract custody and he is extremely anxious.'
Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Judge Tom Hughes who granted Reape bail meantime.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
33 minutes ago
- Daily Record
'Scots' suspect arrested over Spain 'gangland' shooting of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr
He is now facing extradition to Spain so he can be questioned about the May 31 murders. Any extradition would have to be approved by a UK court. A man arrested in connection with a "gangland" shooting in Spain is believed to be Scottish. Spanish police have confirmed a man, believed to be in his 40s, has been arrested in the UK on suspicion of the Costa del Sol gangland execution of Scots mobsters Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr. The BBC reported earlier this morning the suspect was taken into custody in Liverpool by Merseyside Police under an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities. Spanish cops have yet to make a formal statement. But a well-placed Spanish police source said today when asked about the arrest: 'The specialist UDYCO Costa del Sol police group which is leading the investigation has identified this man. 'As they couldn't find him in the places where they thought he could have been in Malaga, they asked a court in Fuengirola which has opened a judicial probe into the shootings to issue an international arrest warrant for this man. 'Police in the UK have arrested the man in Liverpool under this international warrant.' He is now facing extradition to Spain so he can be questioned about the May 31 murders. Any extradition would have to be approved by a UK court. The suspect's return to Spain would be delayed if he decides to oppose extradition. Spanish officials said days after the murders they had 'no doubt' they would catch the gunman who shot dead Monaghan and Lyons Jnr. Javier Salas was the first Spanish government representative to confirm the victims were Scottish after the horror shooting at Monaghan's Irish pub Monaghans Fuengirola. And he spoke again three days later to say he was convinced police would find and arrest the culprit. Graphic CCTV footage first published by Spanish TV showed one of the two men murdered being cornered inside the premises and shot in the chest and stomach from close range. The killer, dressed in black, was filmed shooting Glaswegian Ross Monaghan, 43, dead after targeting his pal Lyons Jnr outside the pub seconds earlier as terrified tourists and locals ran for cover. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Spanish police sources confirmed they believed the killer was blond following claims detectives haven't commented on that he could also be Scottish. He fled on foot but was driven from the scene by an accomplice in a car waiting nearby which headed along the old N340 dual carriageway east towards the resort of Benalmadena. Officers from the elite Spanish National Police Costa del Sol-based Anti-Drug and Organised Crime Unit UDYCO have headed the ongoing probe, although they are reporting to a Fuengirola-based investigating judge coordinating the operation. Career criminal Monaghan, who fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life outside a Glasgow primary school in 2017, was tried but acquitted over the murder of notorious Glasgow hood Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll at an Asda car park in 2010. In August 2017 he and Eddie Lyons Jr, both members of the Lyons Glasgow crime family, were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside the Campsie bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. The shooting in Spain came amid a violent gang war that has ripped through Scotland since March said to have started over a fallout over drugs. However Police Scotland have said they have no intelligence to link the shootings to the feud.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots home torched hours after ‘shots fired' at home just 10 miles away
Sources say the properties are linked to caged gangster Mark Richardson HOME HORROR Scots home torched hours after 'shots fired' at home just 10 miles away Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS sealed off a home after it was torched hours after claims shots were fired at house just 10 miles away. Fire crews were called to tackle the blaze at the two-storey terraced property in Tranent, East Lothian — the same day as a gunman allegedly struck in Edinburgh. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Police and fire crews were called to the blaze in Tranent, East Lothian 2 The home's door was left blackened and guttering melted The blackened remains of a front door could be seen next to water drainage pipes which appeared to have melted and snapped. Insiders claim both attacks were made on buildings linked to associates of caged capital cocaine baron Mark Richardson, 38. One said: "The house looks pretty badly burnt up. "One of the windows was broken and the blinds are all black and charred. "The flames were leaping right up to the roof. "The front of the house is a mess." Emergency services were called to the property around 6.20pm on Friday. It was cordoned off as investigations into the cause of the outbreak got underway. A firefighter could be seen looking inside the first floor after the flames had been extinguished. It is not known if anybody was injured. Inside the rise of ex-Rangers ultras chief turned mob boss waging gangland war across Scotland Earlier in the day, police attended a home in Inch, Edinburgh amid claims bullets were fired at it. Sources say the property was tied to a crony of Richardson — who has been targeted by thugs working for Dubai-based mob boss Ross 'Miami' McGill. Police said: 'Officers are carrying out enquiries after a window was damaged.' McGill has been blamed for a series of blazes targeting relatives and associates linked to rivals across the capital and Glasgow. A Scottish Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "We received a call about a fire at a property. "There is no information about any casualties."
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Slain hood Ross Monaghan's Irish bar stripped of signage less than two weeks after shooting
PUB REBRAND Slain hood Ross Monaghan's Irish bar stripped of signage less than two weeks after shooting Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MURDERED hood Ross Monaghan's Irish bar has been stripped of signage bearing his name less than two weeks after he was gunned down inside. Workers removed foot-high gold lettering spelling out his surname just 12 days after he and fellow Scots gangster Eddie Lyons Jnr were assassinated on the Costa del Sol. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jr were murdered in a gangland assassination in Spain 2 Monaghan's name has been erased from the Spanish boozer Pictures show a specials board advertising home-made soup lying on a table inside, as well as a branded banner and parasols that previously stood on the terrace. One eyewitness told how Monaghan's name had been erased from his boozer in Fuengirola, Spain, amid speculation it will be relaunched after a renovation. They said: 'The signs were taken down around mid-morning on Thursday. 'It looks like the place has been cleaned up and moved around after the attack a few weeks ago.' Another source said: 'No-one knows if they are planning to re-open, but it does look like there's been some work done to the property.' Monaghan, 43, was chased inside the bar and blasted seconds after Lyons Jr, 46, was shot dead at point-blank range outside. Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay called for tighter controls to stop mobsters using supposedly respectable businesses to launder dirty cash. He said: 'The Spanish and Scottish authorities should be asking how a known member of a major international drugs gang appeared to have the ownership of a prominent business which literally had his name above the door? 'A guy like that should never have had the ability to put his name on assets for which the only source of funding has been drugs.' The Lyons gang kingpins had been part of a group watching the Champions League footie final on May 31 when the killer struck. The DOWNFALL of Scotland's biggest gangster - Jamie 'The Iceman' Stevenson Part Two Graphic CCTV footage aired by Spanish broadcasters showed Monaghan crawling on his hands and knees in a bid to flee the hitman, before collapsing against a wall. The horrifying film shows blood from a wound near his heart soaking through his white t-shirt. We told of claims Monaghan had a £250,000 price on his head over a feud with a Spanish drugs cartel linked to the south of England. We also exclusively told how Monaghan's grieving family said their Glasgow enemies the Daniels are not to blame. The Daniels and allies of jailed Edinburgh cocaine kingpin Mark Richardson are under attack by hoods linked to Dubai-based Ross McGill, 31.
