Samuel Patton, 58, has been sentenced to four years and 10 months behind bars for burning his ex-lover’s travel agency in Adelaide as ‘revenge’ after they broke up
An Adelaide man who burned down his ex-lover’s travel agency has been sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison.
Samuel Patton, 58, appeared in the South Australian District Court for sentencing on Tuesday.
He pleaded guilty to arson over the destruction of the Parkside business in September 2017.
Patton used his key to enter the travel agency in the early hours of the morning, before lighting what he said was intended to be a small fire.
In sentencing, Judge Gordon Barrett described the arson attack as ‘calculated, premeditated and vindictive’.
Patton used his key to enter the business and lit what he said was intended to be a small fire
The blaze engulfed the building, which also housed a chiropractor’s rooms and a packing company, and caused $220,000 in damage – but the cost to rebuild will exceed $500,000.
The agency belonged to Rosalie Stott, who had been in a relationship with Patton for more than four years when it came to an end in May 2017.
The jilted lover’s ex-girlfriend spent 30 years of her life building the business, according to Adelaide Now.
Samuel Patton (right has been jailed for four years and ten months for burning down ex-girlfriend Rosalie Stott’s (left) million dollar travel agency as ‘revenge’ after they broke up
The judge said Patton’s offending was ‘far too serious’ to escape imprisonment and set a non-parole period of two years and five months.
Speaking outside court, defence lawyer Craig Caldicott said his client was devastated at the jail term.
‘He’s really, really sorry, and if he could take it all back he would,’ he told reporters.
Security footage of the night shows a man walking along the nearby street as he removes a face disguise as he leaves.
The builder had reportedly drunk a lot of alcohol before setting fire to the agency, which lost $2 million in gross turnover, ABC News reported.
Security footage of the night shows a man walking along the nearby street at the time of the fire
‘I think about it every day and I still can’t believe what I have done,’ Patton said. ‘I can’t apologise enough for the grief I’ve caused.’
Patton, a father-of-four and grandfather, broke up with Ms Stott four months before the blaze and allegedly burnt down the agency in an act of revenge, according to 9NEWS.
Ms Stott said Patton had done the ‘most devilish, wicked, evil act’ possible where his ‘despicable behaviour’ had ‘destroyed [her] livelihood’.
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