A St. Thomas man was handed a five-year jail sentence on Monday following a fire in July of last year that destroyed a vacant downtown building
Just after 4 a.m. on July 6, emergency crews responded to a fire at 616 Talbot Street.
The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage and was determined to be an act of arson.
Joseph Penfound was identified and arrested by St. Thomas Police about five hours after the fire was reported.
He pleaded guilty to arson on May 8 of this year.
St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp issued the following statement:
“The sentence delivered yesterday (Monday) reflects the seriousness of this offence and the significant impact it had on our downtown community. Lives were put at risk, a building was destroyed and our community was left to experience the consequences.
“We appreciate the court’s recognition of the seriousness of this deliberate act and the need to hold repeat offenders accountable for behaviour that threatens public safety.”
A related story can be found here.
Written by Ian McCallum
