Arsonist who torched 12 cars given second jail term after starting blaze at Hong Kong's City University

A pyromaniac suffering from stress after losing his job at a bakery when his boss found out he had previously been convicted of arson was sentenced to 10 months in prison yesterday for setting tissue paper ablaze at City University.

Tang Chun-kin, 30, who in 2012 was handed a jail sentence of four years for torching 12 cars, had pleaded guilty to one count of arson over the latest charge.

On March 23 this year, seven months after his release from the previous sentence, Tang was caught red-handed burning a piece of tissue paper tied to an iron railing inside the university's Academic 1 building.

District Court Judge Gary Lam Kar-yan said he accepted that burning the tissue paper was unlikely to set the building alight. It left only a 1cm by 2cm burn mark.

"But the offence took place on a week night and classes were in session," Lam said, adding that had Tang been spotted by others it could have sparked fear and panic.

The judge took note of Tang's compulsion for setting things on fire before sentencing him.