As reported by over 100 news sites including BBC News, a groom that should have been getting ready for his reception in a Cheshire hotel was instead setting a fire he hoped would burn the place down to avoid “financial pressure.”
Liverpool resident, M.K, 37, admitted to setting a fire in Tarporley’s Peckforton Castle Hotel during his wedding event held there last June, allegedly to get out of paying his bill.
In the Chester Crown Court it was said that he not only argued about his bar tab and wedding bill, he was “massively” drunk.
M.K. was given a 6-year prison sentence for being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
On June 19 the fire was fought by approximately 100 firefighters and 120 people – including 13 children – had to be evacuated.
The hotel, a 19th Century country house, had been erected to resemble a castle.
The day prior to their wedding day, prosecutors argued that the soon-to-be married couple had fought with the staff and the owners of the castle about money – 15,000 pounds – that was still owed for the wedding venue.
Then later, M.K. engaged in another dispute, this time arguing with hotel staff when they refused to extend him a bar tab.
Prosecutors said that M.K, drank approximately 20 double vodkas before telling the staff that the hotel’s finance director was going to “get it” because “nobody crosses (M.K.).
CCTV, set up to film the wedding the following day, captured images of M.K. going in and out of the castle’s drawing room.
The drawing room was where the wedding was to be held.
Investigators from the fire department determined that the fire had been purposely set in the drawing room’s curtains.
M.K., weighted down by “enormous financial pressure” amidst his own property business’ failure, allegedly wanted to soothe his ego and impress his guests.
When castle owners threatened to cancel his wedding because of his unpaid bill, Judge Roger Dutton said that M.K. committed the arson because he “sought revenge” and wanted to “maintain a bravado with friends and family.”
Judge Dutton added, “Having been made bankrupt...you embarked upon a wedding that would involve paying a figure of approximately £25,000 (pounds) for a ceremony you could nowhere near afford. In the end you sought, and achieved, revenge against the proprietors of Peckforton Castle.”
Cheshire fire officer K.B. said, “Mr. (M.K.’s) reckless actions put the lives of his family, friends, hotel staff and firefighters at considerable risk.”
Cheshire Police Detective C.J.G. said that the hotel staff, in dealing with M.K. over his bill, “experienced first hand his aggressive and bullying nature.”
Det. C.J.G. added, “We hope that (M.K.) has time to reflect on actions which potentially could have proved fatal, not only for his guests and staff at the hotel, but for his new wife.”
M.K. said nothing after receiving a 6-year prison sentence.
Are you facing criminal charges you hoped to avoid? Then the next step is to contact a criminal defense attorney to discuss your case and plan a defense as soon as possible.
