House of Reeves Arsonist Jailed

An arsonist who destroyed a 150 year-old landmark family furniture business during last Summer’s Croydon riots has been jailed for eleven years-and-a-half years.

Gordon Thompson, 34, (pictured) set light to a sofa inside the shattered window of The House of Reeves, Reeves Corner on August 8, last year.

He pleaded guilty to arson two days into his Old Bailey trial and also admitted violent disorder and burgling The House of Fraser and Iceland in nearby Surrey Street.

After looting the frozen food supermarket Thompson was caught on CCTV entering the department store and emerging with armfuls of stolen booty.

CCTV also captured Thompson at The House of Reeves, where he ripped a shattered glass pane from its frame and entered the premises.

He stole a laptop computer and while leaving the store he asked another person for a lighter.

As soon as he was given one, he set fire to a sofa inside the shop. 



The resulting fire was devastating and once The House of Reeves was ablaze, glowing embers from the fire set light to the residential property on the other side of the road and residents were forced to flee for their lives.

The furniture shop was razed to the ground and all that remained were the supporting walls and a pile of smouldering rubble.



The fire produced one of the most iconic images from the disorder, which captured a terrified resident jumping from her burning flat into the arms of police officers below. 



Thompson was arrested on August 14 by a local police officer who recognised him.

He was interviewed on five occasions but refused to comment.



Superintendent Simon Messinger said: “People all across the country were outraged by the shocking images of local businesses and homes being destroyed by mindless criminals on the eighth of August.



“The fire at Reeves Corner provided some of the most iconic images but we must also remember that other businesses and homes were destroyed and local people were lucky to escape without serious harm.



“So far over 400 people have been arrested in Croydon for their involvement in the disorder with almost 300 people charged.

“My officers will continue to trawl through CCTV images and identify all those who were involved.



“I would like to thank the public for continuing to assist us with this investigation, without their help positive identifications of many of the images would not have been made.”