The man doused and set fire to the doors of three flats and the lift, smashed windows on the ground floor of the building and insulted police officers. He was also carrying drugs. He has been temporarily detained since the day of the incident.
The offences took place on 23 August this year, at around 8:00 p.m. Damian A. had then argued with his partner, with whom he lives in a block of flats on Gombrowicza Street together with their three small children.
As he was leaving the building, he smashed the panes in a ground-floor window of the stairwell and in the lift doors. The noise drew the attention of neighbours, who notified the police. A. went to a petrol station, where at 8:30 p.m. he bought a five-litre canister of petrol.
He then returned to the building, took the lift to a floor above the one where he lived, and poured petrol along the corridor and over the entrance doors to three flats and the lift doors, then set them on fire.
He then ran downstairs. However, he was arrested by police officers moments later.
A strong smell of petrol could be detected on Damian A. The suspect became aggressive. He insulted two officers, swearing at them, and also violated a female police officer’s bodily integrity. What is more, a glass pipe containing marijuana was found on him.
An expert called to the scene stated that the suspect’s actions—despite the fire being extinguished immediately by the flat owners—created a danger of a fire breaking out. The accused also caused losses of more than PLN 5,500 to the housing cooperative and a total of PLN 2,600 to the residents.
A. was charged with causing a direct danger of an incident threatening the life or health of many people or property of great magnitude (a multi-family building and nighttime, when most residents are at home).
The vandal is also suspected of insulting two uniformed police officers and violating the bodily integrity of one of them, as well as possessing narcotic drugs in the form of marijuana (0.15 g).
Damian A. initially denied committing any of the acts he was charged with. In October, however, he changed his account and admitted to everything. The man had a criminal record.
He now faces up to five years in prison. The case will be heard by a court in Legnica.
District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica/ii