Man jailed over arson attack on vehicle in Gozo

A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to setting fire to a vehicle in Gozo, in a case which the court described as serious and potentially dangerous to others.

Yahia Hamid Mohamad, a Syrian national born in 2003, pleaded guilty to a series of charges linked to an incident which took place during the night between 30 April and 1 May 2024 in Munxar, Gozo.

According to the court, the accused deliberately set fire to a parked vehicle in Triq ir-Ranċiż. Although no one was inside the car at the time, the fire posed a risk of spreading to nearby buildings where people could have been present.

The blaze completely destroyed the vehicle and also caused damage to an outdoor air-conditioning unit located nearby.

Police investigations, including CCTV analysis, linked the accused to the crime. Footage showed him purchasing fuel shortly before the incident, while other recordings placed a person wearing the same clothing near the scene carrying a container consistent with the one used.

Following the incident, the accused left Malta and travelled abroad. He was later tracked down in Bulgaria through a European Arrest Warrant, arrested, and brought back to Malta to face charges.

In court, it also emerged that the accused had been involved in a dispute with the victim prior to the arson, which may have motivated the attack.

In addition to arson, he was found guilty of causing over €2,500 in damages, disturbing the peace, illegally disposing of waste, driving without a licence, and using a vehicle without insurance.

Despite noting that the accused had a clean criminal record, admitted the charges, and compensated for the damage to the vehicle, the court stressed the gravity of the offence, highlighting that his actions could have placed lives at risk and that he had attempted to evade justice by fleeing the country.

Presiding Magistrate Jean Paul Grech sentenced him to three years’ effective imprisonment, with time already spent in custody to be deducted from the sentence.

The court also imposed a €2,500 fine, payable in monthly instalments, and ordered the accused to pay €450 in compensation for damage caused to nearby property.

Additionally, he was disqualified from holding a driving licence for over a year and ordered to pay more than €3,700 in expert fees related to the magisterial inquiry.