After this man’s marriage broke down, he tried to spite his wife by setting their nearly R21 million house on fire.
The arson took place in June of 2023. Now, he has narrowly escaped prison time.
In a report by Metro, 50-year-old Francis McGuirk from the UK, a millionaire professional golfer did not want his wife to get a centimetre of their home. So, he took drastic measures.
McGuirk was quoted as saying that: “He did not want the b***h to have everything.”
He also allegedly sent his estranged wife texts threatening to burn the house down with him in it.
McGuirk reportedly waited until his family went away before entering the house and committing the crime.
“Sarah (estranged wife) was at a dinner party on the night of the incident. Knowing the address would be empty, the defendant let himself in. He locked the doors before snapping the keys in the locks from the inside.
“He first tried to start a fire using some cooking oil, which did not take, so he then set fire to some cushions in the living room using lighter fluid,” a prosecutor from Canterbury Crown Court was quoted as saying by Metro.
The plan was foiled after neighbours saw smoke and called the authorities who quickly headed to the residence.
According to Metro, the prosecutor added that McGuirk was outside the house when firefighters noticed him acting strangely and refused to get assistance.
“A private security guard attended and saw the defendant outside the property apparently trying to get back inside to rescue the family dog. The defendant made admissions of starting the fire with the aim of burning the house to the ground,” she was quoted as saying.
McGuirk received a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was forced to pay £13,555 (around R315,227) in costs.
IOL