Man found guilty of arson attack on his ex-partner's car

A bitter man's arson attack on his ex-partner's vehicle earns him a suspended sentence

A bitter man's arson attack on his ex-partner's car in Gozo has earned him a suspended sentence.

52-year-old Natal Fava from Sannat, Gozo was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for four and ordered to pay €4,600 in reparatory damages by a court this morning.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud, presiding the court of magistrates in Gozo found Fava guilty of the attack, which was motivated by Fava's inability to accept the end of an 11-year relationship with the woman.

In September 2010, Nadia Said, the man's former partner had been informed by the police that the burnt-out shell of her car had been found in Xlendi valley.

Before this, the woman had filed a police report about finding her car’s tyre slashed when leaving a nightclub.

A court-appointed expert had concluded that the fire had been started from the inside, as there was no evidence of external ignition.

The electric windows had been lowered and the door had been opened using a key. The conflagration was probably started by setting fire to a seat or papers inside the cabin, an expert had concluded.

The victim had testified that she had seen the accused following her and that she had received numerous calls from withheld numbers. She told the court that, in the past, her ex had threatened to burn her inside her car.

The court said it was convinced that Fava had started the blaze, not lease because the accused also had a copy of the key.

The accused had been bitter about the end of the relationship and had decided to exact revenge by setting her car on fire, it said.

In handing down punishment, the court took into account the victim's wish that the accused not be jailed but be ordered to compensate her for the damage he had caused.

In the light of this, the court handed the man a two year sentence suspended for four, giving him six months to pay €4,600. He was also ordered to foot the €600 bill for the costs of the case.