2 days ago
Man caught hurling makeshift Peroni petrol bomb in revenge attack on own dad
Phillip Neill called his father a "lucky son of a b****" after the flaming beer bottle bounced off his van and smashed on the ground, causing a fire in the roadway outside his house
CCTV footage captured the moments before an arsonist turned a bottle of Peroni into a makeshift petrol bomb and hurled it at his dad's van.
Phillip Neill's Ford Focus was caught on camera driving up and down the road past his father's home on Birdwell Drive in Warrington in an apparent "recce", a court heard.
Phillip Neill called his father a "lucky son of a b****" after the flaming beer bottle bounced off the vehicle to the ground, causing only minor damage to the road outside his house the jury was told.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Neill's relationship with his dad Robert Neill "had been strained over the years", after they became estranged following an incident in 2015 when the 31-year-old, of Lingmell Avenue in St Helens, threatened to set fire to his dad's van.
But the pair had had a 'recent reconciliation' in January after Robert arranged building work for his son. However things took a sour turn, as Christopher Taylor, prosecuting described how the pair fell out again after the defendant failed to turn up to the job, the Liverpool Echo reports.
This led to Neill junior sending a string of "angry and abusive" messages to his dad throughout March 12 2025, it was said. That evening CCTV captured the defendant's 'recce' with the same cameras showing him appear to set a glass bottle alight and hurl it in the direction of his dad's address, with the improvised device bouncing off his father's van and smashing in the road.
Around 10 minutes later, he followed up the attack by messaging his victim: "You lucky son of a b****."
Robert Neill reported hearing 'a loud bang' outside his house before discovering a fire and the remains of a glass Peroni bottle in the road.
Police were called to the scene where officers "noted a smell of accelerant". Neill was arrested at 4am the following day, with the cap of a Peroni bottle and an air rifle being seized from his car.
Mr Niell detailed how he had suffered a panic attack waiting for the emergency services to arrive. In a statement read to the court he said: 'I hadn't seen Phillip for many years. When he contacted me in January this year, I felt it was a set up.
"I gave him the benefit of the doubt, as it was my son. Phillip needs support with his mental health, and I want him to have the right help to make him better. However, I have serious concerns regarding my personal safety should he be released back into the community."
Mr Taylor further told the court that, while on remand in custody, Neill was reported to have commented "if I was outside, I would kill my dad". He has two previous convictions for drug driving and possession of cannabis in 2016 and 2023.
Peter Barnett, defending, said on his behalf: "He and his father had a poor relationship. The defendant has no interest in reconnecting with his father in future. He was in a poor state of mind that night. There was no damage caused, effectively, to any particular property, only minor damage to the roadway, which did not need any form of repair.
"With regards to the remark referred to, he has no understanding of where that has come from. Clearly, at the time of the commission of this offence, there had been that toxic relationship with his father from the past. They had not seen each other for a significant period of time.
"A lack of permanent accommodation was a factor in his deteriorating mental health. He was unable to control his emotions, which were clearly exacerbated by the fact of his personality disorder.
"He has, in the past 12 months, made attempts on his life. His mental health in custody has not particularly improved. He is medicated in relation to his depression. He wants to seek further help while in custody. He finds prison a safe space and wants to get help. It was impulsive. He has no relevant previous convictions or significant convictions on his record."
Appearing via video link from HMP Altcourse Neill admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He was jailed for 28 months and handed an indefinite restraining order on Friday.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "You had, for some time, carried a grievance. Your relationship had been strained over the years. Although it appears that there may have been a recent reconciliation between you and your father, you fell out again over your failure to attend for work at a job he had arranged for you.
"That resulted in a series of angry text messages from you to your father. Later that evening, CCTV footage captured your car pulling up close to your father's home then moving away again. I am satisfied that what you were doing was checking your father's van was on the driveway of his address.
"At about 9.30pm that evening, you threw a petrol bomb at your father's vehicle. Happily, it bounced off the vehicle and into the road, causing little, if any, damage.
"There has been a profound effect on him psychologically. It is the first thing he thinks about in the morning, and he struggles to get sleep. He recognises that you need support for your mental health, but remains scared for his own safety.
"If that petrol bomb had exploded near to the van and set alight the petrol tank, that could quite quickly have spread to the house where you father was present. I do recognise, however, as a matter of fact, that very little, if any, actual damage was caused, and I shall take that into account.
"This clearly was a revenge attack that involved a significant degree of planning. You completely lack remorse. You are a danger to your father. I have no idea when that will cease to be the case."
