A homeless individual has confessed to deliberately setting fire to a boat on a canal in Oxford.

Tim Fish, who lacks a stable residence, had been due to face trial at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, April 27.

The defendant, aged 39, faced a single count of arson with recklessness regarding potential danger to human life.

He submitted his guilty plea before proceedings commenced this week.

The court heard that Fish set light to a narrowboat on October 29 the year prior.

Court records state the incident took place at Duke’s Cut Lock on the Oxford Canal in Gosford, with the boat belonging to Max Lamb.

According to the court record, on October 29 at Duke’s Cut Lock, Oxford Canal, Gosford, Oxfordshire, the accused committed arson in that without lawful excuse damaged by fire a narrow boat to the value of unknown belonging to Max Lamb, intending to destroy or damage property or being reckless as to whether property would be destroyed or damaged and intending by the damage to endanger the life of another person.

A pre-sentence report was requested to enable the presiding Judge to assess the risk involved.

Judge Michael Roques indicated to Fish that his sentencing would be delayed to permit the Probation Service to conduct an interview for their assessment.

He will remain in custody awaiting sentencing at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 22.

Multiple boat fire incidents have occurred in Oxford over recent years.

In 2024, James Jonas received a sentence at Oxford Crown Court for several offences, encompassing one count of arson with recklessness as to whether life would be endangered.

At 38 years old, the court was informed he ignited his vessel, The Happy Go Lucky, on August 19, 2023 at the Duke’s Cut Waterway canal near Gosford.

Receiving a three-year custodial term, Judge Ian Pringle noted that it was clear from Jonas’s behaviour that things were not going well, and the danger about arson is the potential it can wreak, with the ability to lead to a loss of life.

Two boats were also destroyed by fire in Jericho along Castle Mill Stream during October 2019.

Local residents were roused by alarm sounds and witnessed thick smoke following the incident at 7:10am.

This occurs as three individuals stand accused of plotting fire attacks on premises connected to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Ukrainians Roman Lavrynovych, 22, Petro Pochynok, 35, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, are charged with conspiracy to destroy property by fire between April 1 and May 13 the previous year.

The case is expected to continue until the end of May.