The Debrecen Appellate Chief Prosecutor’s Office has filed an appeal seeking to increase the seven-year prison sentence imposed on the man who, while drunk, set fire to his friend’s home.
According to the verdict, in December 2023 the defendant asked his friend for a loan via message, which was refused. He then threatened him with serious harm and later appeared at the family’s property, from where he was sent away. The perpetrator decided to set the building on fire in retaliation for the rejection. While intoxicated, he placed a gasoline-soaked rag on the windowsill of the victim’s property and ignited it with a lighter. The gasoline flared up, setting the lowered shutter on fire. Those inside the house immediately noticed the fire and ran into the yard. The victim’s father tore out the metal frame of the shutter, while passersby helped contain the flames with water, preventing injuries.
The perpetrator fled but later returned to the scene, where he was apprehended by police.
The Miskolc Regional Court sentenced the defendant to seven years in prison and seven years of disqualification from public affairs for attempted murder committed with particular cruelty against multiple people, ruling that he is not eligible for parole.
The prosecution appealed for a harsher sentence, while the defendant and his lawyer appealed for a reclassification of the charges and a more lenient sentence.
According to the Debrecen Appellate Chief Prosecutor’s Office, a sentence below the statutory midpoint of 15 years is unjustifiably lenient. Aggravating factors include that the crime was committed in the evening and that the lack of tragic consequences was due only to luck and the alertness of those inside. Therefore, the prosecution has requested that the appellate court impose a significantly harsher sentence.
The case will be decided at second instance by the Debrecen Court of Appeal.
(source: ugyeszseg.hu)
