An Ogden-area resident who set fires in a vacant house in Woodland last winter as a photography project was sentenced to probation in a Third District Court hearing this week.
The defendant received the sentence after pleading Guilty to a second-degree arson charge.
The defendant, 48-year-old Thomas Fox Shea from Syracuse, received the sentence on April 27th in an electronic court hearing.
County prosecutors said that last Feb 14th, Valentine’s Day, a deputy responded to the house fire, and found Shea on the scene, with his facial hair and eyebrows singed.
Eventually he admitted that he brought a five-gallon can of gasoline into the house in order to photograph fires in the structure. He started two blazes and put them out, but a third got out of control.
Shea’s court file includes a letter he wrote from the Summit County Jail in March where he apologized for “this reckless and irresponsible attempt at creativity.” He said in the past he has created short videos as art, and on occasion used fire.
Shea said when he decided to start the fires, he was driving by the house, which he had seen before. He said the house was in severe disrepair, with holes in the walls and roof, though he did not mean to minimize his actions.
He wrote, “I know now that it is time to re-think creating any type of artistic visuals using such an uncontrollable and destructive force.
The court file also included letters from his mother, siblings and his son, who said he has had issues with substance abuse and mental health. He was on probation at the time of the fire.
But the relations said he’s an affectionate person, with a great sense of humour and is talented in the mediums of painting, photography and videos. One relation said “his situation is nothing more than art gone wrong.”
Shea pled to the second-degree Arson, down from the original charge of Aggravated Arson.
Judge Richard Mrazik gave the defendant prison time, but suspended that, and gave him credit for 31 days he’s spent in jail. Shea was given three years of probation and among other conditions, must complete 60 hours of community service.
