A JUDGE has called for a psychiatrist's assessment of an arsonist's risk of future fire-starting before he can be sentenced.

Anthony Grey was due to be dealt with at Teesside Crown Court on Monday, but will now learn his fate in a fortnight.

The 25-year-old set light to a car after being attacked by a householder as he and another man were trying to burgle a property, the court heard.

He returned an hour after being hit over the head with a pickaxe handle and torched the vehicle in May 2016.

Just over a week later, he set fire to a mattress in his Redcar flat, and a "potential disaster" was only averted when a neighbour called the emergency services when they noticed a glow and smoke coming from an ajar door.

Prosecutor Matthew Collins told the court: "The flames were climbing up the walls, reaching the ceiling."

Firefighters were met with a torrent of abuse from intoxicated Grey, who stopped them removing the mattress once they had put out the blaze.

After being checked over by an ambulance crew, Grey refused to go to hospital, but asked for a lift elsewhere.

After hearing that some of his 68 previous offences included criminal damage and a history of mental health troubles, Judge Howard Crowson asked for a psychiatric report to be updated to include potential future risk.

Adjourning the case until July 30, he said: "I don't think I should be making a judgement on dangerousness without any further information.

"It is a common wish to know from experts for any sentencing judge to know whether or not there is a risk of it happening again.

"With his history, the fear is there, but it has to be determined whether the evidence is there.

"I think the person who alerted a potential disaster must be congratulated for stepping in after noticing the fire."

Grey, now of Matterson Close, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, admitted arson and arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered."