A DRUMRY woman has been found guilty of setting fire to the front door of a property near her home.

Lorna Doyle, 33, of Alsatian Avenue, had denied a charge of causing extensive damage to the Vanguard Street property by wilfully setting fire to the front door on March 14, 2017.

But a jury unanimously found her guilty of the charge at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday following a two-day trial.

The charge alleged that extensive damage was caused after the fire took effect, “all to the danger of the lieges”.

And after the jury’s verdict was returned, it was revealed that the start of the trial had been held up because Doyle was too drunk to take her place in the dock.

Dealing first with the fire-raising charge, Sheriff William Gallacher told Doyle: “The charge is one of the utmost gravity.

“There is no dispute about the fact that there was danger caused by your utterly disgraceful actions. They caused considerable difficulty, considerable cost to the community, alarm to those around, and a serious threat.

“I have real doubt over whether I am able to avoid a custodial sentence, but I have to call for a full criminal justice social work report to set out the ground.”

Nobody was in the building at the time of the incident, which happened at around 7.15pm on the date in question.

Turning to a charge of contempt of court arising from Doyle’s drunken state two days earlier, the sheriff added: “This case could not start on Tuesday, when you were here, for other reasons that were nothing to do with you.

“We all assembled again on Wednesday, when you were so drunk that proceedings could not take place.

“I heard your apology to me. That will be part of what I decide to do.”

Defence solicitor Michael Poggi told the court that Doyle’s one previous conviction was for an “entirely unrelated” matter and made a motion for his client to be released on bail.

The sheriff told Doyle that because of her limited criminal history and personal circumstances he would release her on bail until a sentencing hearing on May 2.