A teenager has been sentenced to two years and seven months in prison after setting fire to a double-decker bus, causing £225,000 worth of damage. Theo Francis, who was 16 at the time of the incident, attempted three times to ignite a piece of paper on the upper deck of the No. 33 National Express service in Kingstanding, Birmingham.

Unaware of the danger above, passengers remained seated on the lower deck as flames began to spread. Francis managed to evade capture for several months, leading West Midlands Police to issue a wanted appeal, releasing CCTV images of him clad in dark clothing, a balaclava, and his hood pulled up.

Despite initially denying his involvement when eventually apprehended, Francis, now 18 and residing on Finchley Road, Kingstanding, later confessed to a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The incident occurred around 10pm on October 25, 2023, as the bus travelled along Brockwell Road.

Prosecutor Shehraz Hussain detailed the events in court: "The defendant boarded a bus, belonging to National Express, and sat on the upper deck.", reports . He continued, "At this time there were other passengers sat on the lower deck." Hussain then described how Francis ignited a piece of paper and placed it on the floor, which extinguished itself twice before finally catching alight.

He added: "At this point he produced another piece of paper and placed it on the seat and set it alight. Theo watched the paper burn and produce flames before leaving the bus. The flames grew causing extensive damage to the bus." The prosecutor confirmed that the £225,000 bus was beyond repair and had to be scrapped as fixing it was not cost-effective.

National Express released a statement highlighting the danger posed to the driver and passengers by the incident, also noting that such acts of arson on buses discourage public transport use. Francis wasn't apprehended until February of the following year, during which he insisted that someone else was responsible for the fire. Following his release on bail, he committed further offences, leading to a brief suspended prison term and a youth rehabilitation order.

Defending Francis, Andrew Baker commended his client's 'bravery' in admitting guilt. In court, he described the teenager's struggles with learning difficulties and low IQ. Mr Baker lamented: "He has had a truly wretched childhood. The only supportive figures are his grandmother and aunt. His father has been absent throughout and his mother has had very little interplay in his life."

Furthermore, the barrister revealed that Francis had faced bullying while detained at HMP Brinsford young offenders institution in Staffordshire. Judge Tom Rochford, delivering his verdict on Thursday (April 24), treated the teenager before him as a youth in light of his mental health and developmental challenges, voicing his worry over the lad's failure to seek support when exploited or manipulated by others.

His Honour emphasised: "Being exploited doesn't mean you are weak, strong people are exploited, and looking for help doesn't mean you're weak." He added that seeking assistance could be a sign of strength: "In a funny way it can mean you are strong if you look for help." The judge further remarked on the courage required to admit needing aid, saying, "Sometimes you have to be brave and strong to look for help and be brave and strong to know you can't manage everything on our own."

Observing the defendant's acknowledgement, Judge Rochford noted: "I hope you will think about that in future. I can see you are nodding." Unfortunately, Francis had not met the expectations set by his youth rehabilitation order, leading Judge Rochford to conclude with a heavy heart that the arson was too grave an offence for anything other than a custodial sentence to suffice.