Thieves steal mattress, set fire to new La Parfait home

Apr 09, 2013 News

A new homeowner faced his worst nightmare Sunday evening after fire believed to have been set, gutted his home in Phase Two, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.
There are indications now that persons entered the Lot 2099 Phase Two home while Adrian Allicock and his family were out, and started the blaze.

Adrian Allicock (2nd right) and his wife Bibi with fire investigators Sunday night.

A clearly upset Allicock, who returned home to find neighbours battling the fire, said that he was forced to kick down the front door of the one-flat home, which was mysteriously locked from the inside.
There are indications that the persons gained access through a bedroom window by removing the louvre panes. The two-bedroom home had no bars or grilles.
“I only moved in a month now. I built this house from scratch,” said Allicock.
His sofa set and kitchen cupboards were badly damaged. In the bedroom, all that remained was the bed frame. The Allicock family believed that the mattress was stolen.
The family lost several important documents also.
It is suspected that a kerosene lamp was used to ignite clothing that was strewn on the bedroom floor.
Allicock lived there with his wife, Bibi, and his little daughter, Ashana. “This fire deliberately set. They bolt the front door from inside. How could that happen?”
He said that he left his home around 16:00hrs to go to the city. He had no inkling of what awaited him later that night. It was while walking through a street leading to his home, around 19:00hrs that he learnt of a fire in the area. To his horror it was his home.
The building was not yet connected with power. Allicock was sure that the fire started in a particular corner in the bedroom because the kerosene lamp was on the floor in another section – clear evidence that it was moved. In addition, burn patterns indicated that the fired started in that section of the bedroom.
Neighbours formed a bucket brigade before a fire engine arrived. Fortunately, the roof remained largely intact although the windows are gone.