STARTED £33,000 FIRE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 5

STARTED £33,000 FIRE

Troubled By Conscience THREE-YEAR SENTENCE A man who confessed to starting s factory fire which caused damage to the extent of £33,000 was sentenced to three years’ penal servitude for arson ai the Old Bailey. He was Charles Thomas William Haynes, 43, a works manager, of Churton Street, S.W., and the factory belonged to Plant Brothers Ltd., garden furniture manufacturers, of Cambridge Arterial Road, Enfield. Mr. Henry Elam, prosecuting, said there was a long and serious case beipg conducted at Enfield against two directors- Haynes was one of the most Important witnesses in that case, and after it had started he confessed £hat; he had set fire to the factory. Destroying Evidence. In the statement, which was the only evidence against Haynes, he said that he set fire to the place at the instigation of Frank Plant, managing director of the company, who wished to bring about a merger with another company. PA stated that the books had been inflated, and the fire was to destroy eviadded counsel, it should be added that Haynes sprayed highly inflammable liquid over canvas and then set fire to it. Mr. Elam commented that the fi re brigade worked 40 hours in fighting the outbreak, and damage to the extent of £33,000 was done. In justice to Haynes, added counsel, it should e added that in his statement he said that he was not paid for what he did, although a fire claim of £30,000 was met. His motive was to destroy evidence, because he was “sorry for Plant and his ruination.” Action Pending. Mr. J. S. Bass, defending, eaicl Haynes had stated that since committing the crime his conscience had not ceased to trouble him, and he went to Scotland Yard and told the police everything. Mr. Bass rdded that he understood there was an action pending for the recovery of the £30,000 paid out by the insurance company. Mr. Justice du Pareq said it was plain that Haynes.had it in him to lead not only a decent but a highly praiseworthy life. He paid attention to the fact that he had confessed, but it wa« not to be thought because a man confessed he was not to be punished.