A homeless former soldier who burned down a Labour MP’s constituency office – destroying an entire building and wiping out vital NHS and charity services – has told a court he did not deliberately target the politician, insisting the blaze was reckless rather than calculated.
A man who admitted burning down the constituency office of a Labour MP has denied deliberately targeting the politician, a court has heard.
Josh Oliver, 28, had been living rough close to the Washington office of Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Gateshead South, when he set fire to a bin store at Vermont House in September 2025.
The blaze caused catastrophic damage, with the prosecution saying the fire “took out the entire building”. Damage is estimated to be between £250,000 and £500,000.
Appearing before Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, the case was listed to fix a sentencing date after Oliver previously admitted arson on the basis that he was reckless, rather than acting with intent.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court that Oliver, a former soldier, had been discharged from the army because of behavioural issues and later went to live with his father. His father reported a “significant deterioration” in his son’s mental health, which eventually led to him living on the streets near the MP’s office.
CCTV footage shown to investigators captured Oliver over several days smashing windows, damaging the building and burgling the premises before setting the fire. On the night of the blaze, Oliver stole a mallet and power tools from inside the building before igniting the bin store.
As well as serving as Sharon Hodgson’s constituency office, Vermont House was also home to an NHS veterans’ mental health service and a charity supporting people with extremely rare genetic conditions, both of which were forced to cease operations following the fire.
Defending, Lee Fish said Oliver disputed suggestions that the attack was politically motivated.
“He disputes that he deliberately targeted the Member of Parliament,” Mr Fish told the court.
“He disputes that he intended to set fire to the entire building. He says he was reckless.”
The court heard Oliver, who remains in custody awaiting sentence, has failed to co-operate with the preparation of a psychiatric report and has not engaged with probation services.
Recorder Jeremy Barnett ordered that a Newton hearing – where the court will decide the factual basis of Oliver’s guilty plea – should take place on 9 March 2026.
Oliver has also admitted burglary and three counts of criminal damage, relating to the smashed windows at Vermont House in the days leading up to the fire.