Adolescent forensic psychiatrist Dr Kenneth Ross said that the boy had many issues, not only the
fire-raising, which needed to be tackled.
Recognizing the difficulties posed by multiple and mixed motives, the material is presented using the categories: arson committed for financial or other reward; to conceal other crimes; for political purposes; cases of self-immolation; for mixed and unclear reasons; due to serious mental disorder; motivated by revenge; pyromania; young adult vandalism and
fire-raising. Whereas in chapter 6, the author uses Wooden and Berkey's (1984) four-part classification of offenders to sort child fire-raisers: curiosity leading to fire; `cry for help' fire raisers motivated by anger at adverse home environments, with feelings of rejection and/or neglect; older youngsters engaging in arson as part of juvenile delinquency generally; and the pathological juvenile fire-raiser who sets fires repetitively.
The repeated blazes could often be seen sending smoke high into the sky above Aberdeen, but they came to an end on September 22 after police confirmed they had charged a teenager with wilful
fire-raising.
A Police scotland spokeswoman said: "Inquiries are ongoing into the incident, which is being treated as suspected wilful
fire-raising.
Inspector Tracy Harkins, from Paisley's community policing team, said: "We are investigating a wilful
fire-raising incident at a shelter within Barshaw Park.
Watson, a former MP and MSP, was jailed in 2005 for
fire-raising at an Edinburgh hotel.
(1994),
Fire-Raising: Its Motivation and Management.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service station manager Bryan Nelson said: "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has a very clear, zero-tolerance approach to deliberate
fire-raising because it puts our communities at great risk.
Prosecutor Keri Marshall told the court Cook of Sheldrake Place, also Johnstone, was caught red-handed fleeing the scene of the
fire-raising attack.
Thomson reviewed such crimes last year in response to farmers' concerns about theft, vandalism,
fire-raising, housebreaking and worrying of livestock.
There was a lot of willful
fire-raising, anti-social behaviour and a lot of drug peddlers in the area who were preying on the kids.
He spent eight months in jail two years ago for
fire-raising.