Court decision for setting fire on Blagoveshansk Orthodox church of Tyumen

March 17, 2017 – The court in Tyumen gave a verdict to a resident of Khanty-Mansiysk for setting on fire one of the churches of the region center. He is sentenced to five years in jail and one month in a strict penal colony. The court has also ordered 3 million Rubles to be compensated to the church for damages.

According to the official court report, on June 1, 2016, the defendant (Gregory Pakhtyshev) was leaving from a bookmaking shop, where he lost some money. He decided to go to the church. There, the defendant lit a candle and accidentally had it fall on the groundwork beside the altar. This caused a fire, which he could not stop. Then, the assailant stole 27.2 rubles from the church’s donation box and headed for the exit. He then met a security guard, whom Mr. Pakhtyshev smashed on the head with a piece of brick. The assailant could not flee and was apprehended by the incoming police.

According to an estimate, the cost of the repairs inside the church will cost over 2 million rubles. Furthermore, the fire destroyed church property for the value of about 959,000 rubles.

The defendant has been pronounced guilty under article 168 (destruction and damage of property on a large scale, conducted in a careless way with fire) of the Civil Code, and part 3, article 162 (robbery, conducted with physical assault, with the use of an object dangerous for life and health, accompanied by an illegal entry) of the Russian Criminal Code.

Sources

http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=66490