Canadian Heavy Metal Fan Pleads Guilty To Setting Church Fire

[KansukeKojima 0]

Subject: Canadian Heavy Metal Fan Pleads Guilty To Setting Church Fir Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:26 pm

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According to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada's Source, a 17-year-old Thunder Bay youth will return to court next month for sentencing after pleading to guilty to charges related to a bizarre arson case.
The young man was apprehended on October 14 after breaking into and setting fires at two Balmoral Street churches. Evidence heard in the case indicates the youth had been influenced by listening to heavy metal music and had learned to make the napalm used to set the fires on the Internet.

Damage to one of the churches was estimated at about $100,000 while the repair bill at the other was about $12,000. The accused was convicted Friday on two counts each of break-and-enter and arson. He'll be sentenced on February 20.

SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada's The Chronicle Journal has revealed more details about a Canadian black metal fan's guilty plea to a charge of arson and a second offense of break and enter while committing mischief and attempted arson in connection with setting fires at two Thunder Bay churches.
The 16-year-old youth, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, will be sentenced February 20 in Ontario Court.

Crown counsel (prosecutor) Alec Hardiejowski said on the night of October 14 the youth took a napalm-type device and used it to torch the Central Evangelical Free Church on Balmoral Street.

This brazen act was committed next to the Thunder Bay Police headquarters.
The fire was confined to three back rooms.

The fire and break-in activated an alarm and police and fire department personnel responded to the fire.

The youth then broke into the Evangelical Church next door and tried to set a fire there as well.

Police officers heard noises at the church and investigated to find the youth inside who challenged them "to come and get me." They did and placed him under arrest.
Damage to both churches was estimated at about CAD $117,000.

Defense attorney Chris Watkins said his client was influenced by heavy metal music, especially black metal music.

Outside the court Watkins said the youth felt he had to punish the churches for alleged incidents committed hundreds of years ago.

"Part of his rationale at the time was that he believed the churches were responsible for the persecution of specific groups such as minorities and witches in medieval times," he said.

"He felt the church represents a bad thing in society and he had to punish them."

The youth underwent a five-day psychiatric assessment shortly after the incidents but Watkins said he has made progress since then and the psychological report doesn't reflect his mental state today.

What a wonderful way to screw up your life in its early stages....
Edited January 18, 2008 by KansukeKojima (see edit history)

[kobra500 1]

That seems a little Extreme. I mean I like heavy metal and am a strong athiest but I don't try and burn down churches no matter how much I think the churches are wrong

Edited January 19, 2008 by kobra500 (see edit history)

[agilbert 0]

Subject: Canadian Heavy Metal Fan Pleads Guilty To Setting Church Fir Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:26 pm
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SOURCE: BLABBERMOUTH
What a wonderful way to screw up your life in its early stages....

I knew that kid...
I was pretty intelligent, maybe a little to intelligent for his age.
But i think its hilarious that they blamed it on heavy metal, like always.
You know it couldn't have anything to do with history, or religion or anything like that, oh of course not.
If you can't tell there was much sarcasm in that last sentence.
I must admit it wasn't the brightest idea, in fact in was down right stupid. But don't blame metal, I love metal, and I love black metal as well and you don't seem me building down any churches.

[arnz 0]

Kinda extreme, but still some fans would indeed go to extremes to meet their favourite band, or stars, and so forth. Kinda a shame that one genre gets a fair bit of copping from the media because of some young kid going to extremes and so forth.

[KainRacure 0]

They only mention metal because its viewed as evil and violent, If the kid liked jazz music I am sure they would have said nothing about it. This is your typical case of the media projecting the stupidity of one kid on a whole group (metal fans)Seriously, If I listen to the same songs as Charles Manson will I create a group of people to kill someone? Or maybe if I listen to music that John Wayne Gacy did I will become a serial killer.Ya ever notice the opposite NEVER happens. If some kid goes and saves someone from drowning they never have a headline of "Punk Rocker saves 5yo from drowning"Its bull crap, there are more people who listen to metal AND DON'T kill or burn down churches then people who do. Its just that the media LOVE to perpetuate stereotypes and they also LOVE to look at the bad apples of ANY group. I would also be willing to bet that the fact that he targeted a church made it worse. Christians seem to get psychotically uppity when they get targeted as being a hate group. (But lets face it, any group that claims that they alone know the one true way to live instantly with that mindset creates a us against them thing which fosters hate, discrimination and other things. Tho I am not saying all Christians hate people or what not but once again a few people in a group with the correct mind set can become corrupt and evil no matter how good their goal is)Also, at the least he had the right idea, tho he went horribly wrong with his protesting unfairness.This reminds me of something I have been thinking about and I am going to post a thread about on here in a minute. If you are interested in religious debate I'll post a link here when its done.

[Dagoth Nereviar 0]

It annoys me when people blame things like music and video games. They guys just a pyscho Making amends for something that happened in medievil times? Sheeesh, get a life I find it kinda funny neither of them have the same age was it his birthday the day it happened or something?