Three men have been locked up for burning down a Caithness curryhouse.
James Lewis-Saunders and Graham Shepherd, both 20, and 18-year-old John Munro were paid to start the blaze at the Taj Mahal in Castletown in April this year.
Lewis-Saunders from Golspie and Shepherd from Alness were each sent to detention for three years while Munro from Wick got two years.
They were appearing for sentence at Wick Sheriff Court having previously admitted wilful fire-raising.
The court heard the building was destroyed in the fierce overnight blaze which left restauranteur Yasim Miah with uninsured losses of about £150,000.
Lewis-Saunders was pressurised by another individual several months previously to set fire to the restaurant for £1,000.
He then recruited the other two and bought the petrol used to start the blaze.
The trio waited until after midnight when the restaurant closed before gaining access through a wooden side panel, off a side alley.
The fire quickly took hold and was followed by an explosion which showed glass from the windows on to the adjoining main road through the village.
Police recovered two empty fuel containers near a side doorway of the burnt-out building, together with a mobile phone belonging to Munro.
All three initially denied involvement but subsequently made full admissions and have offered to give evidence against a fourth accused.
Police recovered £800 of the £1,000 paid to Lewis-Saunders and £387 of the £400 paid to Munro.
Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen said he had no other option but to place the three in custody given that it involved premeditated fire-raising in return for money and resulted in the wind-up of a successful business.
