A man has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to arson and attempted arson outside St Catharine’s College last year.

The sentencing took place at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (23/01), almost a year after the crime was committed.

The Cambridge Constabulary has issued a statement describing the events.

The statement says that at 11:00pm on 25 January 2025, Patryk Malinowski entered a private section of St Catharine’s College in a wheelchair. When confronted by a porter and repeatedly asked to leave, Malinowski swore and replied that he “wasn’t going anywhere”.

Malinowski then smashed a beer bottle and threw a wine bottle at the porter.

Having left the enclosed court, Malinowski reached through the railings to set fire to a laundry basket, which the porter was able to extinguish.

Malinowski then entered the car park and set fire to a rubbish bin. He attempted to set fire to a car, pushing twigs and grass into the fuel tank, but his lighter failed.

He also punched the offside wing mirror, causing two dents in the car. Malinowski caused a total of £800 of criminal damage.

The porter called the police to the scene, and Malinowski was arrested shortly afterwards.

Malinowski was primarily charged with arson and attempted arson, but one count of criminal damage and one count of common assault were also ordered to lie on file.

PC Bethan Jones paid tribute to the actions of the St Catharine’s porter, saying that his “quick actions” meant the “fire was contained before it could cause any significant harm”.

Jones added that she was “pleased Malinowski has now been brought before the courts and held accountable for his actions”.

A St Catharine’s spokesperson told Varsity: “In January 2025, our Head Porter wrote to students living in or likely to be visiting the site in question to commend the porter and our students who supported the porter during what was an unusually difficult night on duty.”