Star Inn fire: Charges dismissed against man accused of arson

A man accused of deliberately starting a fire which gutted a Michelin-starred restaurant has been cleared after the charges against him were dropped.

Charles Birkett, 28, was charged after a blaze ripped through the Star Inn, in Harome, North Yorkshire, in November 2021, causing more than £2m of damage.

However, York Crown Court heard new scientific evidence revealed the fire had been started by accident.

The judge said Mr Birkett could leave "without a stain on his character".

Mr Birkett, a shooting estate manager from Helmsley, was charged with arson with recklessness as to whether property would be destroyed or life endangered on the basis that he had deliberately put a cigarette into the thatch of the building

On Friday, the court was told the fire had been caused by a candle in a makeshift ashtray igniting cigarette butts, which spread to dead ivy around the door of the pub.

Addressing Mr Birkett Judge Sean Morris said: "You were not to blame. You are perfectly innocent."

During the hearing Mr Birkett's defence barrister said the charges had caused "considerable distress to his family".

Speaking after the hearing Mr Birkett said his life has been "extremely hard" for the last two years as he faced a possible prison term of more than six years.

He criticised the police and fire service investigations, saying that many other people would not have had the financial resources to challenge the evidence in the way he did.

No-one was injured in the blaze, and more than 40 firefighters battled to save the building

The inn was rebuilt and reopened on the anniversary of the fire in 2022.

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