Millionaire sets own house on fire so his wife wouldn’t have it after divorce
A millionaire decided to set fire to his £900,000 (P66.5 million) home as he didn’t want his wife “to have everything” after their separation.
According to Daily Mail, golf pro Francis McGuirk was given a suspended sentence at Canterbury Crown Court last week for what he did in June last year.
“Sarah was at a dinner party on the night of the incident. Knowing the address would be empty, the defendant let himself in,” prosecutor Caroline Knight told the court.
“He locked the doors before snapping the keys in the locks from the inside,” she added. “He first tried to start a fire using some cooking oil, which didn’t take, so he then set fire to some cushions in the living room using lighter fluid.”
The 50-year-old was accused of intentionally causing fire at his Sandwich, Kent property in 2023 when his then-partner and three kids were not there. He warned his ex-wife via voice messages that he was going to “burn the house to the ground” before pushing through with his plan.
The seafront spot was left with minor damages as their neighbors were able to call emergency services at the right time. When asked by authorities why he did it, McGuirk said he “didn’t want the b***h to have everything.”
The judge ruled that McGuirk’s move was driven by spite but also considered his mental health in the decision as he was inside his home when he set it on fire.
Aside from being referred to psychiatric tests, McGuirk was “given a custodial sentence of 20 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £13,555 (over P1 million) in costs,” Daily Mail reported.
He was also ordered to finish 200 hours of unpaid work in the community, 30 sessions of rehabilitation activities, and 120 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring.
A restraining order of five years was also imposed to forbid him from reaching his estranged wife, with whom he is yet to finalize divorce.
If McGuirk commits any offense in the next two years, he will be sent back to court “and almost certainly go straight into custody,” the judge said.
If you think you, your friend, or your family member is considering self-harm or suicide, you may call the National Mental Health Crisis Hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide, landline toll-free), 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-USAP (8727) for Globe/TM users, or 0908-639-2672 for Smart users.