Arsonist jailed for 15 years

Daniel George of Upper Pashley Street, Laventille was sentenced by Justice Maria Wilson in the Port of Spain High Court.

George is expected to be released in less than three years as he was granted an automatic one third discount on his sentence because of his guilty plea and seven years he spent on remand awaiting trial, was deducted from the sentence. He pleaded with Justice Wilson to be sent to St Ann’s.

“Since I young, they calling me mad,” he said.

Justice Wilson ordered that he be sent for psychiatric evaluation within the next two weeks to determine the best course of treatment. “I think in our society there is some sort of reluctance to deal with mental health issues and a tendency to conceal this within a family,” the judge said.

She said there was no issue over George’s ability to plead guilty as a psychiatric evaluation had been done prior to the court accepting his plea.

In sentencing George, she set a starting point of 11 years but increased it because of aggravating factors in the case, which included the fact that George’s father had obtained two protection orders against his son before the fire. She also said George’s father Barry George’s victim impact statement was the worst she had seen as a judge.

“It was only negative,” she said. According to the evidence, the arson incident took place on July 6, 2010, while George’s father was on his way to the Besson Street Police Station to report threats made by his son. While the police and Barry were on their way to the family’s home to speak to George, they met him walking along the Eastern Main Road near the Success Laventille Secondary School.

George allegedly said: “Officers, thank you. I was just going to the station to make a report.” The officers claimed that when they took George and his father to their house, they found that it was completely engulfed in flames.

“I wanted to make a jail because I have no place to stay,” George said. Senior State attorney Anju Bhola prosecuted.