A man in his 50s tried to scare his girlfriend by setting fire to someone else's house while drunk... Suspended sentence granted

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] On the 14th, Changwon District Court announced that it sentenced A (51), who was tried on charges of attempted arson of a dwelling for trying to scare his ex-girlfriend by setting fire to the wrong house, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year probation.

On September 21 of last year, around midnight, A set fire to a bag with a lighter in the hallway of an apartment in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, intending to scare his ex-girlfriend by setting fire to her house.

He then opened the kitchen window of the apartment and tried to ignite the fire by throwing the bag onto the sink.

However, the apartment was not his ex-girlfriend’s house but someone else’s house completely unrelated to him.

A, being intoxicated, confused the apartment building and unit number, attempting to set fire to the wrong person’s house.

Fortunately, the victim, who woke up from sleep, discovered this and extinguished the fire, so A’s crime remained an attempt.

Chief Judge Lee Jeong-hyun of the Criminal Division 2 stated, “Attempting arson in an apartment poses a risk of causing human or property damage, so the nature of the crime is not light. However, considering that no significant damage occurred and that a smooth settlement was reached, the sentence is determined accordingly.”

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