A squatter has had his conviction upheld after setting the house he was occupying on fire during a day-long rampage on the Costa del Sol.
The Moroccan man, who was living in Spain illegally, wrought havoc across Estepona on February 21, 2024.
It began when he was thrown out of a bar at 6.30am for harassing customers, before telling a barman: ‘When you finish work, I’ll kill you. I know your wife and your car.’
He then returned with a metal ball attached to a chain, threatening to attack customers and staff.
He left and returned once more, this time confronting the owner with two pistols, while repeating his threat to ‘kill the barman’.
It is not known if the guns were real or replicas.
He was finally arrested at around 9pm when he piled up the sofa and other items in the property he was squatting by the front door and set them on fire.
The resulting blaze was a ‘serious and dangerous’ situation for residents, a judge ruled, particularly as there were homes above him.
Neighbours reacted quickly with fire extinguishers, while the suspect lit rags and cardboard in an attempt to keep the blaze going inside the house.
He was sentenced to just under nine years, in a conviction that has now been upheld by the Andalucian High Court of Justice.
For the death threats, the court sentenced him to one year and three months in prison. For arson, he received a further seven years and six months.
After completing his sentence, he will also be banned from entering Spain for 10 years.
