Man who set fire as distraction to shoplift in Vancouver grocery given conditional sentence
A B.C. court heard that the man who was captured on surveillance and quickly identified by store management and police immediately after the fire, had confessed to the crime.
Victor Atkinson, 50, admitted to setting a fire inside Nesters Market in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to distract while shoplifting, for which he received a two-year conditional sentence followed by two years of probation. The court heard that Atkinson, who had a history of shoplifting, confessed on arrest that he started the fire at Nesters to support his drug addiction.
While acknowledging his plea saved time and resources, prosecutors emphasized the danger posed by the fire, which caused significant damage to the store and community. Atkinson's lawyer argued that his client had no malicious intent and saw it as a one-time event, primarily driven by his addiction. The judge, recognizing Atkinson's candor, deemed the conditional sentence as the most appropriate sentence, hoping to deter him from re-offending and reinforcing the message against arson.
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