Bridegroom, Max Kay, set fire to a castle hotel after drinking 20 double vodkas while his wife slept because he was angry at struggling to meet the ã30,000 costs of the wedding.
The blaze caused an estimated ã5.4 million of damage and led to 117 people, including 13 children, being evacuated from Peckforton Castle Hotel, near Tarporley, Cheshire.
Kay, 37, of Hunts Cross, Liverpool, was jailed for six years yesterday after pleading guilty to arson that was reckless as to whether life was endangered.
The fire broke out in a wing of the castle at around 5am on June 19 last year.
The court heard that Kay, a property developer and father of four, had argued with staff and the owners of the hotel over money and was caught on CCTV going into and coming out of the drawing room where the fire started.
The court heard that Kay wanted to impress friends and family, even though he was under ââ¬Åenormous financial pressureââ¬Â and his property business had failed in the economic crash.
He resented being chased by the owners of the castle for payments and took ââ¬Årevengeââ¬Â while drunk after they threatened to cancel the occasion three days before the wedding unless they received ã15,000 still outstanding.
At Chester Crown Court, the judge said: ââ¬ÅIt was a miracle that nobody was either seriously hurt or killed by your actions. There is a long background to this ââ¬â principally surrounding, it would appear, your ego.
Full article with pictures of the damage: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9159430/Angry-groom-set-wedding-hotel-ablaze.html
Unbelievable that no one was killed! More unbelievable is that he could drink that much and still function.
The blaze caused an estimated ã5.4 million of damage and led to 117 people, including 13 children, being evacuated from Peckforton Castle Hotel, near Tarporley, Cheshire.
Kay, 37, of Hunts Cross, Liverpool, was jailed for six years yesterday after pleading guilty to arson that was reckless as to whether life was endangered.
The fire broke out in a wing of the castle at around 5am on June 19 last year.
The court heard that Kay, a property developer and father of four, had argued with staff and the owners of the hotel over money and was caught on CCTV going into and coming out of the drawing room where the fire started.
The court heard that Kay wanted to impress friends and family, even though he was under ââ¬Åenormous financial pressureââ¬Â and his property business had failed in the economic crash.
He resented being chased by the owners of the castle for payments and took ââ¬Årevengeââ¬Â while drunk after they threatened to cancel the occasion three days before the wedding unless they received ã15,000 still outstanding.
At Chester Crown Court, the judge said: ââ¬ÅIt was a miracle that nobody was either seriously hurt or killed by your actions. There is a long background to this ââ¬â principally surrounding, it would appear, your ego.
Full article with pictures of the damage: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9159430/Angry-groom-set-wedding-hotel-ablaze.html
Unbelievable that no one was killed! More unbelievable is that he could drink that much and still function.
