Glasgow Cathcart by-election 2005

'Someone in public office ought to know how to conduct himself on all occasions. I must have regard to the deliberate and dangerous nature of your conduct.' Sheriff Kathrine Mackie, 22 nd September 2005.

Watson jailed for 16 months

By Tom Gordon, Lucy Adams & Michael Settle in the Herald 23 rd September 2005

LORD Watson of Invergowrie's descent from pillar of the community to pariah was complete yesterday, as he was led from court in handcuffs to begin a 16-month jail sentence for wilful fire-raising.

The former Labour MSP for Glasgow Cathcart was told he presented a continuing risk to public safety, and a custodial sentence was the only option.

Watson, 56, looked impassive as he was taken from Edinburgh Sheriff Court, with only a brief glance towards Clare, his third wife, who broke down in tears.

He is expected to leave Scotland when he gets out of jail in around eight months' time under the early release system.

His spokesman said his public life was in tatters "up here", but said there was no reason why he could not carry on working at the House of Lords, where he can claim £192 a day for attending.

The Labour party, which suspended Watson after the first allegations were made last year, said it had now expelled him. Friends said Watson had become withdrawn and depressed in recent weeks. One said: "If I was Mike I would up sticks. You can be relatively anonymous in London. He won't be able to get away from it here. His life would not be worth living."

Watson's lawyer had tried to use personal testimonials, a list of achievements in public office, and even details of his wife's failed IVF treatment to sway the court towards community service.

However, Sheriff Kathrine Mackie put greater weight on a damning social inquiry report, which found Watson was more concerned about his own future than what might have happened to the scores of people in Prestonfield House Hotel last November, when he set fire to a curtain at the end of a night of heavy drinking.

The peer, who had initially pled not guilty to starting the blaze, which caused £4500 in damage, showed "very little victim awareness" and posed "a significant risk of reoffending", the report's author concluded after interviewing him.

Sheriff Mackie said she would have jailed Watson for 20 months instead of 16 had it not been for his guilty plea. She told him: "Someone in public office ought to know how to conduct himself on all occasions. I must have regard to the deliberate and dangerous nature of your conduct."

Watson resigned as an MSP three weeks ago when he pled guilty to one count of fire-raising and endangering lives.

He is believed to have spent his first night in prison in Saughton, in Edinburgh, on suicide watch, as is standard. His legal team is still considering whether to appeal. His sentence, greeted by cheers at the SNP conference in Aviemore, is believed to be the heaviest imposed on a serving elected politician since John Stonehouse, the former Labour minister, was given seven years for 18 counts of fraud in 1976.

In a plea in mitigation, Paul Burns told the court Watson still found it "incomprehensible" he could have lit the fire, which broke out at 2.15am on November 12, after the Scottish Politician of the Year Awards. It was only when he saw CCTV footage of himself, that he recognised he was guilty.

The court had previously heard Watson was drunk and aggressive towards hotel staff on the night.

Mr Burns said a psychological report found alcohol had become "problematic" for Watson. He also said problems Watson and his wife had trying to start a family may have affected his mood. "Although he is a robust and strong person, he is a human being and I suspect that took him to a lonely and a dark place."

Bill Miller, former Labour MEP for Glasgow, who provided a testimonial to the court on Watson's character, was "sur-prised by the sentence. My heart goes out to his family and his wife." The SNP's Alex Neil, said many MSPs had expected a shorter sentence, but "it was a very serious offence, and we can't have one law for MSPs and one law for other punters".

Tommy Sheridan, the Socialist MSP, jailed five times over political causes, said in prison "he will find there are a lot of very decent human beings, and a tiny minority of unpleasant individuals".

One Labour MP, Michael Connarty, a friend of the peer, branded "crass and stupid" the suggestion that there was a significant risk of his reoffending, stating "it's such an out of character thing".

Annabel Goldie, Tory justice spokeswoman, attacked the early release system which would free Watson in eight months.

Jack McConnell, first minister, declined to comment.