An Egyptian accountant was sentenced to five years in prison for starting a blaze in a Buri rental pool house, and was ordered to pay more than BD9,000 in compensation to the property owners.
He was found guilty of arson, property damage and endangering people’s lives by the High Criminal Court in April, which also ordered his deportation after he completes his sentence.
He appealed the verdict to the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, but judges rejected it yesterday. The court heard that the 41-year-old appellant was at a party in January when he consumed too much alcohol and got into a fight with other partygoers.
The 41-year-old owner of the property had come to the house at 6am on the day of the incident with his co-owner to collect the keys from a client who had rented it the night before.
He said he saw the appellant outside the house arguing with a number of individuals before he was beaten up.
The Bahraini testified that he moved the appellant away from the attackers, but the man ran into the house. He later came out appearing agitated with a wound.
“He was yelling at my co-owner and threatening to torch the place,” the witness stated. “I saw him barge into the storeroom near the door, where he unhooked a gas cylinder from its pipes, then took it inside and locked the door behind him.
“We couldn’t open the door and, a few minutes later, we saw smoke rising from within. We managed to get in and found that there was a fire in the living room and bedrooms.”
A Civil Defence crew was swiftly despatched to the scene, and firemen put out the blaze.
According to an officer who was part of the fire team, the blaze had been fuelled by gas. The still-smouldering cylinder was thrown into the swimming pool by emergency responders.
The officer stated in his report that the fire appeared to be man-made, and that all the items and furniture in the house were damaged by heat and smoke. Judges ordered him to compensate the owners BD9,049 in damages.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian appellant claimed that he was ‘blackout drunk’ at the time of the incident. He testified that he was invited by a Bahraini man who had rented the pool house that day, and that he drank until he lost consciousness.
“By the morning, I was severely drunk and unaware of my behaviour,” he claimed. “Five people that I didn’t know came and beat me up. I went inside to hide from them and they ran after me.
“I don’t remember what happened then – only that they beat me some more – then I woke up in an ambulance.”
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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