Son endangered his mum's life after setting fire to her home in row over £60

A man endangered the life of his own mother by breaking into her home and setting it alight, a court has heard.

Brian Rodgers, 44, told police officers that he wasn’t trying to kill his 69-year-old mother when he started a fire at her property in Perth on June 13, 2026.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Wednesday that Rodgers was seen breaking a glass pane on the front door at the house with a hammer before entering inside.

He had earlier told his 70-year-old father that he was going to “kill” his mother, as she wouldn’t give him money.

Judge Michael O’Grady KC heard how Rodgers then went into a room and retrieved keys to the garage.

The accused then went into the storage room and emerged carrying a jerry can of petrol, which was kept for the woman’s lawnmower.

He then poured it onto the floor and set it alight. However, Rodgers’s sister was nearby, and she managed to get the mum out of the property safely.

The pair called for police who managed to detain Rodgers soon afterwards.

Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel told Judge O’Grady of how Rodgers responded to being told he was being taken into custody.

She said: “The accused stated he understood his arrest. He was cautioned and made the following reply: ‘I didn’t try to kill my mum. I love her.’”

The story emerged after Rodgers, of Perth, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting the woman to her severe injury and to the danger of her life at a house in the city’s Parkhead Gardens.

He admitted going to the property, entering it, pouring petrol over clothes and furnishings and causing the petrol to “ignite” by lighting it.

Rodgers also admitted another charge of acting in a threatening and abusive manner earlier on June 13, 2026 at the bowling club at the Bells Sports Centre in Perth.

He shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence and threatened to kill himself, and he also damaged a parked vehicle as part of this charge.

On Wednesday, Rodgers observed proceedings in Edinburgh via video link from jail.

Ms Dalziel told of how Rodgers is separated from his wife, and once worked as a plumber but hasn’t been in work in recent times.

The prosecutor told the court that Rodgers’ mum told investigators that she and her son had a “good relationship” and were “active” members at their bowling club.

She said Rodgers had regularly asked her for around £50 to £60 per week, and she usually gave it to him.

The court heard that on June 13, 2026, Rodgers and his mum spent the day at the North Inch Bowling Club in Perth. He asked her for money in the late afternoon, and she told him she’d think about handing the sum over.

He later sent her text messages saying he was unhappy with how she was handling his request.

Ms Dalziel said: “The second message contained the following comments ‘why are you being like this.. you couldn’t give a f**k but hey ho I will survive although that’s what you don’t want!! I promise you are done as you are an embarrassment to granny’s name.”

Judge O’Grady heard that the woman didn’t respond to these messages and that he phoned his dad at around 9.30pm to complain about his mum’s behaviour.

Ms Dalziel added: “[His dad] told the accused if he didn’t spend so much money on drink and drugs, he’d have more cash of his own.

“The accused became aggressive at this point threatening ‘I’m going to cause carnage. I’m away to kill mum.’”

Rodgers then went to the bowling club and damaged the tyres of his mum’s Range Rover, which was parked there overnight. He also damaged the driver’s window, and investigators believe he caused £2,000 of damage to the vehicle.

At around 10pm, Brian phoned his sister and complained about his mum’s attitude towards his request for £60.

Ms Dalziel said: “He told [her] ‘I am going to set the house on fire; the dogs will be dead and so will mum. I will set mum on fire’.”

Rodgers also told another witness that he was going to kill his mum and he was going to kill himself. The witness then contacted his sister, who told her what Brian told her.

The court heard that Rodgers’ mum was sleeping when her son arrived.

Ms Dalziel added: “[She] awoke to the sound of hammering and breaking glass.

“She describes that she heard someone walking down the hallway before seeing the accused standing holding a ruck sack and a hammer.

“She watched as the accused went into her en suite and retrieved the key to the garage.

“[Her daughter] ran around to the patio doors leading to the bedroom and banged on them to try to get her attention.

“From here, [Rodgers’ sister] watched the accused go into the garage and emerge with a jerry can of petrol which is kept for the lawnmower.

“[She] watched as the accused walked through the front door, poured petrol from the jerry can onto the floor and set it alight.

“[Rodgers’ mum] told the accused to stop it, but he did not listen.

“She got out of bed and ended up standing in the flames which set her socks alight and so she tried to stamp it out.”

The court heard that Rodgers’ sister managed to get two dogs out of the property and got her mum to safety.

The court heard that staff at Perth fire station were notified of the blaze at 10.30pm and three appliances were sent to the scene.

Ms Dalziel said that the opinion of the firefighters was that the blaze was started deliberately.

The advocate depute added: “The fire could have easily taken over the house if it had not been extinguished as quickly as it was.”

The woman was taken to hospital and treated for burns.

The court heard that she suffered “partial thickness burns” to the toes of both her feet. These burns are expected to heal without permanent scarring.

The court heard that family members think Rodgers is suffering from depression.

Defence advocate Duncan McPhie told the court that his client’s legal team had obtained a psychiatric evaluation of Brian.

Mr McPhie said he’d reserve his mitigation until a sentencing hearing which will be held later this year.

Judge O’Grady continued Rodgers’s remand and told him he was ordering a special social worker to prepare a report about the accused’s background.

Rodgers will appear for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 6, 2026.