The mansion, valued at more than one million euros, is located in the town of Sandwich, in the English county of Kent.
Francis McGuirka British professional golfer, was involved in a scandal that went beyond the sporting sphere to a police incident, after setting fire to the mansion that he was supposed to give to his ex-wife as part of their divorce agreement.
McGuirk made this extreme decision motivated by the wish that his ex-wife “would not be left with anything”in his own words.
The mansion, valued at more than one million euros, is located in the town of Sandwich, in the English county of Kent. According to reports, the golfer entered the residence where he previously lived with his ex-wife and three children, locked himself in and proceeded to try to burn the place down.
He tried to set fire to his mansion so that his ex-wife “wouldn’t be left with anything”
Francis McGuirk.jpg
Kent Live Photo
To carry out his plan, McGuirk locked the locks from the inside to prevent third parties from accessing the premises and left an explanatory note. “Sarah (his ex-wife) was at a dinner party on the night of the incident. Knowing that the house would be unoccupied, McGuirk locked the doors and manipulated the locks from the inside,” explained Caroline Knight, the prosecutor in charge of the case. “He initially tried to start the fire using cooking oil without success, and then set fire to some cushions in the living room with lighter fluid,” she detailed.
Neighbours alerted emergency services after noticing the fire, which allowed them to extinguish the flames in time, resulting in minor damage to the property. During the incident, McGuirk sent his ex-wife several messages warning her that he would “burn the house to the ground.”. He also threatened to “throw Dolly (the family dog) out the window at the last minute” to ensure her safety.
According to firefighters’ testimony, McGuirk refused medical treatment for his minor burns and was mainly concerned with rescuing the animal. Once calm, he confessed that his only intention was to leave his wife with nothing.
The court gave McGuirk a two-year suspended sentence.considering as an extenuating circumstance that he acted in a state of spite and that he tried to take his own life that same night. He was warned that any offence committed during that period could result in more severe consequences. Following sentencing, he was released on parole.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
