A man who torched a strip club has returned and caused even more damage – nearly ten years on.
Faisal Qaddus was jailed for destroying Dream Lounge in Swindon in July 2013. He crashed a Honda Prelude into the building before setting it on fire with owner Peter Rogers inside.
Aged 27 at the time, he admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered and was handed a four-year custodial sentence at Swindon Crown Court.
The now-36-year-old appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (7 December) charged with damaging a door and a window at the same establishment.
Prosecutor Pauline Lambert said that on 20 October this year, a member of staff was unable to access Dream Lounge due to a white substance in the door lock.
Club manager Charlotte Mifsud was contacted about the issue and on checking the CCTV, she spotted a man – who she recognised as Qaddus – acting suspiciously.
The footage showed him glueing a poster to the club window before using the same substance in the lock. As a result, the lock had to be replaced at a cost of £100.
Ms Lambert said the victim, Ms Mifsud, was left feeling “very anxious” because her father only narrowly escaped Qaddus’ arson attack back in 2013.
“She paid one of the door staff to protect the club and ensure he didn’t come back”, she added. “But she says she can’t afford to keep paying staff to watch over the club.”
The 2013 blaze wasn’t his first attack on the club – he was caught smashing the windows with a hammer in 2012 but he wasn’t convicted because his family offered to pay for the damage.
The court heard that the defendant, of Amber Court in Colbourne Street, Swindon, was handed a 12-month community order in October when he admitted a string of unrelated criminal damage offences.
Mark Glendenning, defending, said his client “did not realise it was the same place”.
He said that Qaddus has “no particular issue in relation to this establishment”, adding that “it could have been any of the buildings in that street – it was not targeted.”
Mr Glendenning said the defendant’s offences in October related to damaging police vehicles due to him being unhappy with the way they dealt with offences committed against him.
He said Qaddus was having a mental health crisis at the time but is now working with mental health professionals and the probation service.
Magistrates told him to pay £100 compensation to Ms Mifsud. The existing community order was allowed to run. He must also pay court costs and a surcharge.
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