 | 'What compounds Mike Watson's crime and further impugns his character is that after the event he attempted to dissemble and deny it. He tried to conceal matches and continued to deny his guilt even when confronted with damning CCTV footage, stills of which were obtained by The Herald.' Herald Editorial, 2 nd September 2005. |  |
The former Labour MSP Lord Watson is due to be sentenced at the Sheriff Court in Edinburgh.
Watson admitted starting a fire at an Edinburgh hotel last November, and earlier this month he pleaded guilty to one charge of wilful fire-raising.
Immediately afterwards he stepped down as MSP for Glasgow Cathcart and resigned as a director of Dundee United football club.
On Thursday the Labour peer will find out if he will also lose his liberty.
CCTV pictures displayed in court had showed flames climbing up a curtain after Lord Watson had set it on fire. His lawyer said he had drunk more than was wise.
A spokesman for Lord Watson said later that his inexplicable actions had been totally out of character.
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