A groom has admitted setting fire to the venue where is own wedding was being held after a row with the owner over the bill. Max Kay pleaded guilty to the charge of arson that was reckless as to whether life was endangered at Chester Crown Court and was warned by the judge that he will almost certainly face a custodial sentence.
The blaze broke out at approximately 5am on June 19th at Peckforton Castle, Cheshire, and 100 fire fighters were called to Grade l listed building to battle the fire. 200 guests at the country house had to be evacuated, many of whom were guests of the couple, and the fire was estimated to have caused in the region of £6 million worth of damage to the luxury wedding venue.
The bride and groom had argued with the venue owners over their late payment for the venue, and also on the day of the wedding another dispute arose over a bar bill. Property developer Kay was described as being under a great deal of personal strain around the time of the wedding as he was on the brink of bankruptcy.
The father-of-two was captured on CCTV cameras entering the drawing room where the fire originated. Following a fire investigation, experts pinpointed the source of the fire to the curtains in the drawing room where Kay was seen entering and leaving prior to the alarm being raised.
Kay has been remanded on conditional bail until February 3rd when he’s due to appear again in front of Chester Crown Court for sentencing. The judge told the 36-year-old that a custodial sentence is inevitable.
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