A man who lit a series of fires in a revenge arson attack has had his sentence increased under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
In December 2017 Darren Finnemore, 49, was subject to a police enquiry, and sought revenge in January 2018 against those he considered responsible for the investigation.
In order to cause a distraction, Finnemore first started 2 fires in the bin areas outside flats while the residents were asleep. Residents had to be rescued by emergency services after smoke from the fires stopped them from escaping, with many requiring medical assistance. It took the fire brigade almost 6 hours to tackle the fires and extensive damage was caused to the flats.
After lighting those fires, Finnemore visited the property of those he considered responsible for the investigation against him and posted a burning magazine through their letterbox. The flames went out before anything inside the flat caught fire, and Finnemore was arrested later that morning.
Finnemore was originally sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court in June 2019. Following the Solicitor General’s referral, this has been increased to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Commenting on the increase, Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC MP said:
“Finnemore put the lives of many of his neighbours at significant risk. It is extremely fortunate that more people weren’t seriously harmed, and this is now reflected in the length of his sentence.”
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