A former Big Brother contestant jailed for her part in a horrific petrol bomb attack has been released from prison after serving only a fraction of her sentence, reportedly in time for Christmas.
From Reality TV to a Prison Sentence
Simone Reed, 36, first entered the public eye as a hopeful on The X Factor before appearing on the iconic reality show Big Brother in 2017. However, her life took a dark turn earlier this year when she was sentenced to 32 months in prison for encouraging or assisting arson with recklessness as to whether life would be endangered.
The charges stemmed from a violent incident outside the Peggy Junes pub in Redcar, Teesside. After a row, Reed drove accomplice Carl Wild to a garage where he bought items including a jerry can and petrol. Reed paid for the items and later threatened to firebomb the venue.
The Attack and Courtroom Tears
The court heard how Wild, 34, lit an improvised petrol bomb and threw it at reveller David Brotton. CCTV footage showed the device exploding on impact, engulfing Mr Brotton's head, face and shoulders in flames as he rolled on the ground trying to extinguish them.
During her sentencing hearing in October, Reed was in tears as she pleaded guilty. She stated to the court: "I had no idea that Carl was going to take it as far as he did... I did not expect at any point that anyone would suffer physical injury."
Judge Laird, while acknowledging Reed's remorse, highlighted her active role, noting she drove Wild to get the materials, paid for them, and made the threat to petrol-bomb the pub.
Unexpected Early Release
Despite the two-year-and-four-month sentence, it has now been reported that Reed, a mother-of-five, served just 11 weeks behind bars. She was allegedly spotted shopping for Christmas presents in discount store B&M just days before the holiday.
The Sun reported that Reed posted on Facebook: "Merry Christmas – back home with my babies. 2026 is going to be our year." In a reply to a comment on the post, she reportedly wrote: "I only did 11 weeks, it flew."
Her brother, Paul Reed, also expressed his excitement on social media on December 11, writing about looking forward to seeing her walk out of the prison gates.
The early release means Simone Reed will spend Christmas at home, having served less than a tenth of the prison term handed down for her part in the dangerous and life-threatening attack.
