Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Ostend, a fire destroyed The Truth café on September 24, 2023. The court sentenced the arsonist to 4 years in jail and ordered him to pay 119,000 euros in damages. The suspect had previously vandalized the café in July 2023.
A fire broke out at café The Truth on Langestraat, Ostend. The flames spread quickly and caused a lot of damage. During the investigation, the suspect admitted he started the fire at café The Truth but said it was an accident. He claimed he was very drunk and dropped a lit cigarette, which caught whiskey he had spilt on fire.
He mentioned that he had no issues with the café’s owner and that the incident made him stop drinking. Officials said that his story raised doubts. Just 2 months before, he had vandalized the café by breaking its entrance door windows with a brick. The court did not believe him and was unsure that the fire was an accident.
“I have no problem with the owner,”
He said.
“After the incident, I stopped drinking.”
What led to the fire at café The Truth and the suspect’s arrest?
The suspect’s lawyer, Kris Vincke, asked for a lighter sentence. He wanted the suspect to only serve the 7 months he had already spent in jail. The court said no. They believed the fire was not an accident. The judge noted that the suspect might have had strong anger toward the café’s owner or some staff.
The judge mentioned that this could have made him start the fire on purpose. In the end, the court sentenced him to 4 years in prison, with 1 year suspended. He also had to pay 119,000 euros to the café’s property insurer for the damage.
“The motive remains unclear, but the defendant probably harboured deep feelings of revenge against the owner or certain members of staff,”
The verdict said.
On September 24, 2023, a fire broke out at café The Truth on Langestraat, Ostend. The nearby dance café was also harmed, but no one was injured. Officials stated that firemen worked hard to contain the fire, but it was too late. An inquiry revealed that the fire was started on purpose.
According to the officials, further review of the footage showed that the same suspect had attacked café The Truth before. In July 2023, he broke the windows of the café’s entrance with a brick. This got him noticed by the police.
By June 2024, the public prosecutor and the judge asked for help to find the suspect. This led to a breakthrough, and in July 2024, the authorities caught him. They mentioned that his arrest was an important step in solving the case and holding him responsible for the fire.
