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arson threats at the garage on August 11 last year. Crown Prosecutor Kerry Barker said Easterbrook embarked on his “wildly reckless” behaviour because he had cut his finger on a bottle of whisky he bought earlier that night from the petrol station. Although attendant Jude Amalathas gave him a plaster for the bleeding finger, he refused to replace the bottle of alcohol, enraging Easterbrook. He took bags of coal and wood from the forecourt display, piled them up around the fuel pump and threatened to start a “big fire”. Mr Barker told the court it was at 3.20am when Easterbrook went to the garage and bought a small bottle of whisky from Mr Amalathus. Mr Barker said Easterbrook was angry and asked for a replacement bottle, but Mr Amalathas refused. Mr Barker said: “Mr Amalathus judged him to be drunk and declined to serve him. The defendant then made threats and said he would call the police. “Easterbrook picked up four bags of coal from the display outside the kiosk and took them to the pumps. He laid them on the floor around a pump. He again asked Mr Amalathas for whisky and was again refused. He struck the window of the kiosk, cracking it. “Mr Amalathas called the police. The defendant went back to building a bonfire by picking up two bags of wood and putting them on the coal by the pump. “He then took the hose from the pump and dribbled petrol over it. “Then he sat on the floor, took out his cigarette lighter and lit it, producing a large flame. He looked at Mr Amalathas and said ‘big fire’.” The prosecutor said Easterbrook then lit a cigarette and when police arrived he said: “I’ll blow this place up”. Mr Barker told the court: “Police witnessed Easterbrook with a lit cigarette in one hand, waving it around.” After being arrested, Easterbrook admitted drinking three quarters of a bottle of vodka and a two-litre bottle of cider, Mr Barker said. The defendant had a long criminal record, including previous court appearances for criminal damage and threatening to destroy property. Nadeem Aullybocus, 20
defending, said Easterbrook had a troubled past, was put into care aged 12 and had developed an alcohol problem by 13. He added: “He was upset to be refused alcohol – and when he is upset and people start on him he loses control.” Judge Martin Picton told Easterbrook his actions were “terrifying” for the attendant. He said: “You created the risk of massive damage being caused had you set fire to one or more of the fuel pumps – and even potentially significant loss of life. “You were drunk but you were clearly capable of carrying out your actions, stacking up the bags around the fuel pump and dribbling petrol on to them. I am satisfied you were igniting your lighter as a potent threat. It was a wildly reckless action on your part which could have caused terrible harm.”
UK, Hampshire. Fire doused by firefighters at EXXON Fawley, oil refinery A fire was doused after erupting at part of Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Fawley refinery in southern England. The blaze, which began at 3.20 p.m. U.K. time, was extinguished by 3.55 p.m. and the oil refinery is now working normally, according to a spokesman for the plant. “The fire was brought under control and put out very quickly,” the spokesman said. “There were no injuries.” The refinery is the largest in the U.K., capable of processing 316,000 barrels a day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Hampshire Chronicle reported that the fire began in a feed drum at the refinery.
UK, London. Shell to sell up 9000 petrol stations as moves closer to takeover deal with Arrow Energy Royal Dutch Shell will sell full or part-stakes in as many as 9000 petrol stations worldwide and cut a further 1000 jobs as it intensifies its global
cost-cutting. The announcement came as Shell appeared to be edging closer to a deal with Arrow Energy to bolster the group's position in Australia's fast-growing industry supplying coal-seam gas to China and South-East Asia. Peter Voser, the chief executive, said that Shell intends to leave about 30 of the 90 countries in which it operates petrol stations. The move, which is already under way, is part of a focus on more profitable markets and on exploration and production. "We are leaving retail markets where we have low volumes," Mr Voser told Shell's annual strategy briefing in London. These would include Greece, Sweden, Vietnam and New Zealand. Globally, Shell holds interests in about 45,000 petrol stations, of which just under 30,000 are operated directly by the company. It indicated that by 2012 it would sell about 2000 sites outright and cut the number that it operated directly by almost 7000. Sites no longer operated directly would follow a model that Shell has pioneered in America, where its retail sites retain the Shell brand and are supplied wholesale by the company but are operated by third parties. Shell is selling fuel stations in Spain and Portugal. In France, it will leave many of its smaller, regional stations but plans to retain its more profitable, highvolume motorway network. Britain, where Shell operates about 900 fuel stations and is the biggest player by volume in the retail market, is not expected to bear the brunt of the sales. Richard Savage, of Mirabaud Securities, said that the move reflected an effort "to release capital to spend more on production". Shell employed about 102,000 people before Mr Voser revealed the first phase of his re-organisation last July. He called for "more focus and more urgency", adding that most of the cuts would be in refining and marketing -- which is struggling in the face of the worst industry downturn in 20 years -- and in middle management. "The company had become too complicated and
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