North West farmer charged with torching home with wife inside

A North West District farmer is now a remanded prisoner after being charged with setting his house on fire with his wife still inside.

Henry Joseph, 44, of Mabaruma, North West District, yesterday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge that on October 27, at Kobarimo, North West District, he unlawfully and maliciously set a house on fire with the intent to injure Vivian Joseph, who was inside the building.

The prosecution’s case is that after a misunderstanding between him and his wife, the farmer left to drink alcohol and later returned and set the house on fire while his wife was inside.

Henry Joseph
Henry Joseph

The court was told that the couple have one child together, although the man is a father of eight.

Attorney Mark Conway, in his is bail application for Henry Joseph, said his client had no prior convictions.

Joseph was, however, refused bail. Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry remanded him to prison and transferred the case to the Mabaruma Magistrate’s Court for November 17.