71-year-old man sets fire to home after taking 'monkey high', found naked

A 71-year-old man named Walter Harrison from the UK has been sent to jail for four and a half years after going on a dangerous drug-fueled rampage where he ended up setting his own house on fire. The shocking incident took place in August last year in Leek, Staffordshire.

According to The Mirror, Harrison was under the influence of a synthetic drug known as “monkey dust,” a street name for MDPV, which is known to cause hallucinations and erratic behavior. Under the effects of this drug, Harrison lost control and began behaving wildly.

In the early hours of the morning, he came out of his house completely naked, shouting strange things, throwing items around, and banging on his neighbours’ doors. A frightened neighbour called the police after he tried to enter her house while acting very strangely. She also saw smoke coming from his home. Harrison was with his pet dog, Axel, at the time, who thankfully was rescued unharmed by the RSPCA.

Soon after, his bungalow caught fire. The blaze started in the bedroom where materials like the duvet, pillows, and mattress caught fire. Investigators later confirmed that the fire was started intentionally. The flames quickly spread to other parts of the house, including the living room and hallway, causing major damage. The estimated cost to repair the home is around £100,000, which is over Rs 1.1 crore.

When the police arrived, Harrison was arrested but wasn’t questioned immediately because he had likely inhaled smoke and had to be taken to the hospital.

It was later revealed that Harrison had a long criminal history, with 23 past convictions for 53 different offences. After pleading guilty to arson with the intent to endanger life, he was sentenced to jail for four-and-a-half years. Now, with his house completely destroyed, Harrison is also left homeless.