A 45-year-old carpenter of Labasa has been sentenced to four years and 3 months imprisonment for arson.

More so, 2 counts of Criminal Intimidation and 2 counts of Breaching a Domestic Violence Restraining Order.

Govind Singh in April this year, set fire to the home of his brother-in-law Jitendra Prasad.

The court heard that Singh was angry because his wife Sanjana Wati refused to withdraw a restraining order and in a fit of rage, poured kerosene on Prasad’s house and set it alight.

Wati and Prasad are siblings and neighbours.

Prasad yelled for this wife, daughter and 3-year-old granddaughter to flee from the house and take refuge with Wati.

Singh also shouted death threats at Prasad who tried to approach him and begged him not to burn his house.

After setting the fire, Singh then chased Prasad and his family as they fled to Wati’s house – while still shouting that he would kill everyone.

With the family locked inside the second house, Singh started banging on the walls with a cane knife, demanding that his wife, Wati open the door or he would kill them all.

He fled the scene when neighbours approached to see what the commotion was.

Singh must serve 2 years and 7 months before parole.