Millionaire's vengeful act: home set ablaze to spite wife

Francis McGuirk, a British millionaire and professional golfer, narrowly escaped imprisonment after being accused of deliberately setting fire to his £900,000 ($1.4 million) family home in Sandwich, Kent. The motive behind this shocking act was to prevent his wife from taking possession of the property following their impending separation, SSP reported.

During the trial that recently concluded, the 50-year-old golf pro was alleged to have entered the house, fully aware that it was unoccupied. McGuirk locked himself inside before purposely igniting the building. It was only due to the prompt actions of concerned neighbors contacting emergency services that the property sustained minimal damage.

Prosecutor Caroline Knight revealed in court that McGuirk had sent menacing text messages to his wife, Sarah, from inside the house, informing her of his plans to "burn the house to the ground." To further instill fear, he stated that their family dog, Dolly, might be thrown out of a window as well.

As firefighters arrived at the scene, they found McGuirk exhibiting erratic behavior. Despite suffering minor burns, he refused treatment and expressed a desire to re-enter the property to rescue their beloved pet. One rescuer later testified that McGuirk confessed to setting the house on fire to ensure his wife would not receive everything.

The seafront residence in Sandwich was left significantly damaged, with soot covering most of the rooms. However, the courageous efforts of the firefighters prevented the flames from engulfing the entire property and allowed the successful rescue of Dolly.

Although the judge acknowledged McGuirk's spiteful intent, which had caused tremendous distress to his entire family, the defense argued that he had also contemplated ending his own life that fateful evening. Thus, the judge spared McGuirk from immediate imprisonment, handing him a suspended two-year sentence. Nevertheless, he sternly warned the millionaire that any further offenses during this period would likely lead to incarceration.