Chesterfield man poured lighter fluid over pal and set him alight during “prank”

Christopher Stanfield, 37, was found by police with the injured man in the bedroom of his flat in October 2020 when neighbours alerted them with concerns.

Prosecutor Tom Heath told Derby Crown Court police encountered Stanfield leaving the flats and shutting the door “quickly” before saying “he’s fine”.

The defendant then told police his victim was inside the flats on Chesterfield’s St Margerts Drive and that a “prank” from the previous evening had gone wrong.

After following Stanfield inside to his own flat and finding another male in the defendant’s bedroom, police were told by Stanfield “he’s my mate, I’m not keeping him hostage”.

The court heard Stanfied then told police “someone had been messing around but it had gone wrong”. Mr Heath said: “(The victim) had burns to his wrist, face and neck and two black eyes.”

Though Standfield’s victim refused to make a complaint against him, the defendant was arrested and an examination of his phone uncovered a number of messages about the incident.

Stanfield described in the texts how he and another man “set (the victim) on fire” and further, how another male “chucked lighter fluid over him and I (Stanfield) lit the c*** up”.

During police interview Stanfield said someone had been “messing around with lighter fluid and pretending to throw it over (the victim)."

He admitted being drunk and having taken cocaine at the time and that the bruising to the victim’s eyes happened when he tripped and fell. The court heard Stanfield had 21 previous convictions for 13 offences, including ABH and assault by beating.

His defence barrister said the defendant had issues with drugs and alcohol at the time but had since cleaned up, started his own decorating business and was responsible for three children.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds told Stanfield: “If you had killed him, goodness knows what the sentence would have been. You should think yourself very lucky.”

However, the judge noted Stanfield had now changed his life “dramatically” since the incident. The defendant, of St Margarets Drive, admitted grievous bodily harm. He was jailed for 22 months suspended for two years.