The Provincial Court has sentenced Vincenzo Pernice, the 41-year-old Italian who in 2014 set fire to the house where his ex-partner and their five-year-old son lived, located in the Argana neighborhood of Arrecife, to a 15-year prison sentence. The ruling considers him guilty of arson and injury, imposing 12 years in prison for the first and three more for the second.
In addition, the sentence prohibits him from approaching within 500 meters of his ex-partner and son, "of their private home, their place of work and any other place they frequent"; and also establishes "a prohibition from communicating with them by any means for 25 years." Likewise, he is sentenced to "special disqualification from exercising parental authority" over his son, "until the minor reaches the age of majority."
The ruling also sentences him to pay "an amount of 5,542.93 euros for the damages caused to the home", as civil liability, as well as to compensate his son with "630 euros for the injuries suffered." In addition, in this sentence against which an appeal is still possible, the Court imposes the payment of court costs.
"Knowing that his ex-partner and son were there"
The sentence considers it proven that Vincenzo Pernice went to the Argana address on November 2, 2014 at around 05:00 hours "with the intention of setting fire to it and knowing that his ex-partner and son were there."
According to the Court, the convicted man "sprayed gasoline on the main door of the house, immediately igniting the fire with a flame thanks to the enhancing action of the gasoline poured." In the home, his ex-girlfriend and son "were trapped", who, according to the sentence, "managed to save their lives because fortunately" the woman "woke up and saw the smoke and the neighbors helped both her and her son to escape through the roof of the house, as they had no other way out."
As a result of the event, the convicted man's son "suffered injuries consisting of smoke inhalation, bronchospasm secondary to inhalation and acute secondary pneumonia." Injuries for which he required "initial medical assistance" and "subsequent medical treatment consisting of hospitalization, bronchodilator and antibiotic treatment and oxygen." It took "10 days" to heal, of which he was hospitalized for 7.
