Man pleads guilty to causing house explosion

A man has pleaded guilty to causing an explosion that destroyed a terraced house and damaged five others.

Paul Solway, 57, admitted causing the blast in Eden Street, in Alvaston, Derby, on 10 June.

On the first day of a trial at Derby Crown Court, Solway, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to six counts of damaging property, being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Speaking to the defendant, Judge Shaun Smith KC said the sentence would "obviously" be imprisonment.

He told a jury, which was dismissed on Thursday, the defence was due to claim the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

However, he said Solway - who appeared at court with bandaged arms and hands - has now accepted that he made a "catastrophic decision" to start it.

Six further counts of damaging property with intent to endanger life were left on file by the prosecution.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 8 April.

Derbyshire Police said its investigations found the explosion "was deliberate and was caused by the ignition of natural gas following deliberate tampering with the gas supply main".

It said Solway was the only person in the property at the time, with a dog also rescued from the rubble.

Det Con Shaun Carter, who led the force's investigation into the explosion, welcomed Solway's guilty pleas, describing his behaviour as "not only reckless but incredibly dangerous".

"It is only by pure luck that no-one, other than Solway himself, was injured," he said.

"The impact this explosion had on the residents of Eden Street and the wider community was enormous.

"Some people lost their homes, while others had damage to their properties or vehicles.

"The financial cost as well as the emotional cost and mental cost to them all cannot be underestimated."

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