October 14, 2022
An Iranian-born arsonist in England, who set fire to his neighbor’s apartment because he objected to her “smelly rubbish,” has been jailed for two years.
Behzad Ghanvati-Bemba-man was convicted of starting the fire just yards from where the unsuspecting victim was standing in the kitchen where she lived near Birmingham, England.
Even after the police arrested him and the fire was extinguished, the 34-year-old immigrant threatened to return to the scene and set the African-born woman’s apartment alight again.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how Ghanvati-Bembaman lived in government housing provided to people waiting in the immigration system. Prosecutor Howard Searle said the Iranian went to his neighbor’s apartment about a week before the arson, saying he wanted to play with the woman’s young child.
The prosecutor added: “She told him to leave and closed the door on him. That may have caused some ill-feeling on his part.”
A week later, she noticed Ghanvati-Bembaman sweeping outside before hearing something hit her door and spotting the fire January 14. The woman tried to put the flames out with water while anxiously waiting for fire crews to arrive.
Ghanvati-Bembaman then told her he “did not care what happened” before becoming abusive toward her. He told one of the firefighters the victim would be “gone by tomorrow” and then went on to threaten a colleague with a broomstick.
Prosecutors said Ghanvati-Bembaman was drunk at the time.
Through an interpreter, he also threatened to start another fire outside the property and claimed he would “burn down the flat with the residents inside.” He continued to make threats about harming other residents even after he was arrested.
The defendant also said he would return to set his neighbor’s flat on fire once released by officers. The court was told he admitted starting the fire during his police interview but suggested it was “simply to burn rubbish.”
Prosecutor Searle said: “He said he was annoyed that his neighbor left smelly rubbish outside. He could not remember making the threats but apologized for any threats he made. He accepted that he had been drinking alcohol.”
But the prosecutor said there was an element of planning and revenge.
Ghanvati-Bembaman had no previous convictions in the UK. But it was not possible to check if he committed any crimes in the Kurdistan region of Iran, where prosecutors believe he is from.
Judge Jackson said: “It may not have been a very large fire but it must have been very worrying for the victim to see a fire started by somebody who threatened her. Your neighbor was very scared by what happened. She was scared for her life and the life of her child. What you did caused her additional stress and worry because it reminded her of problems she had experienced back in her home country of Africa.
The judge sentenced him to two years and handed down a five-year restraining order.
