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A UNIVERSITY student who ‘misuses drugs’ was sentenced to three years in prison for setting fire to part of his Hamad Town home, after his sister refused to give him money to purchase narcotics.
The High Criminal Court convicted the 23-year-old Bahraini of starting a fire in an inhabited property and endangering lives and property.
The court heard that the angry young man sent threats in his family’s WhatsApp group shortly before he started the blaze.
“The defendant would often ask his sister for money to buy narcotic substances, and she would decline his request,” the verdict read. “He repeatedly threatened to burn the house.
“He decided to commit arson, beginning with his room. He set alight a bedsheet, and his room was completely gutted.
“The rest of the house was also damaged by smoke and rising flames. He further endangered his siblings’ lives, as they lived in the house with him.”
According to the verdict, the defendant’s room was considered a total loss at ‘100 per cent damage’, with items including an air conditioner, bed and wardrobe burned to a crisp.
The whole ground floor, including its four rooms and stairs leading up to the first floor, was covered in soot and sustained damage from the fire, with the ceilings suffering significant damage.
Following a psychiatric evaluation by the Health Ministry’s Medical Commission, he was declared fit to stand trial.
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution asked the judges in one of the hearings to impose the maximum penalty on the defendant.
“The psychiatric report stated that the defendant has a history of misusing drugs and stimulants, but he can be held responsible for his actions.”
The GDN previously reported on the sister’s testimony, in which she recalled that her brother asked her for cash on the day of the April incident, but she told him that she did not have any, explaining ‘I know he will use it to buy drugs’.
She stated that he often made threats in the family group chat to burn down the house, so she did not pay much attention to them.
Another sister recounted how flames spread into and out of his room, and said she called the Civil Defence. Firemen were able to reach the house in time to put out the fire and bring the situation under control.
Upon investigation, a Civil Defence report concluded that the fire was man-made.
Court documents indicate that the house is ‘owned by heirs’, which implies that it was the property of a deceased parent of the defendant and his siblings.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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