Arsonist who targeted Westerhope barber shop in ‘revenge attack’ jailed

Newcastle: So, there was this wild incident at a barber shop in Westerhope. A guy named Dilovan Sindi, 39, got himself into a heap of trouble for setting the place on fire. It all went down last May when he walked into Amed’s Hair Design with a jerry can full of petrol.

Apparently, he had a beef with the shop owner after getting fired for allegedly stealing. When he showed up, he started pouring petrol everywhere and yelling for everyone to get out. It was pretty chaotic, and folks inside were understandably freaked out.

Once he was done spreading the petrol, he pulled out a lighter, which made everyone scramble to escape. But two guys were still in there with him. One of them tried to stop Sindi, but things went south fast. There was an explosion, and the fire spread like crazy.

One guy got stuck in a corner, while the other managed to escape. Sindi, on the other hand, was right in the middle of the flames. He tried to get up but kept falling down because of the petrol on the floor. Eventually, everyone got out, including Sindi, who ran off down the street.

Some brave folks tried to help him while he was on fire. A lorry driver even jumped in with a fire extinguisher. When the emergency services arrived, it was a total mess.

Both victims ended up in the hospital. One had minor injuries, but the other faced life-changing burns and spent five months recovering. Sindi himself was in a coma for a while after suffering severe burns.

He didn’t talk to the police until months later, claiming he didn’t mean to hurt anyone and just wanted to end his own life. He was charged with attempted murder and arson. In court, he eventually pleaded guilty to arson and other charges.

During sentencing, he was emotional, saying it wasn’t his intention to harm anyone. The judge, Nathan Adams, sentenced him to over seven years in prison, saying it was out of character for him. It’s a sad story all around.