The Eindhoven man who set fire in the Woensel district of Eindhoven at least thirteen times last autumn, has to go to prison for two and a half years. This is six months longer than the public prosecutor had demanded. The 43 year-old man set fire to a church, a warehouse and several cars.
Between 8 October and 3 December 2021, the man set fire several times by putting a piece of burning paper in mailboxes and wastebaskets or on car tyres. He was eventually discovered as the perpetrator because his car was always seen near the fires.
The Eindhoven native has admitted that he is guilty of the fires. In his statement, he said that he suffered from stress at the time and that setting the fires was an outlet for him, reports Omroep Brabant. The places where he started the fires were always random. He always did this under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Major consequences for suspect
Psychological research has shown that the man has a mild mental handicap and uses a lot of alcohol and cocaine as a result. He is therefore less accountable.
The court takes this into account in its judgment. It also takes into account that he has not been in contact with the judicial authorities before and has sincerely expressed regret. “The court also sees that the offences committed have had a major impact on the suspect.”
Letting himself be led by his own needs
According to the court, arson is one of the most serious crimes. The man has also been completely led by his own needs, without caring about victims and their property. In addition, the court believes that the risk of the suspect reoffending is high. This is because there is too much instability in his life.
The court’s punishment is therefore six months higher than that demanded by the public prosecutor. The man has to go to prison for fifteen months. And if he goes wrong again within three years, he has to go to prison again for fifteen months. In addition, he was obliged to report to the probation service and had to undergo treatment at a mental health institution.
Source: Studio040
