The man responsible for a massive and destructive fire in White Rock, B.C.’s Five Corners neighbourhood won’t be spending any time in jail.
James Adrian Dyer, 25, was handed a conditional sentence of two years less a day at Surrey provincial court on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to arson damaging property and arson in relation to inhabited property for the May 2016 fire.
The first 12 months of that sentence are to be served under house arrest. The sentence will also be followed by two years of probation.
Dyer would not comment as he left the courthouse.
Crown prosecutors and Dyer’s defence had made a joint submission to the court seeking a conditional sentence, meaning time served in the community.
Investigators determined that the fire started in a building under construction but spread to a neighbouring 60-unit building with commercial properties at ground level.
Video from the scene showed an aggressive fire that tore through infrastructure and took firefighters hours to extinguish.
In the aftermath, 110 residents and several businesses were displaced.
At his sentencing hearing in October, Dyer read a written statement, apologizing to the victims.
“I apologize to everyone, to the victims mainly. I made terrible decisions that night. I wish I could go back in time and make much different decisions,” he said.
“I am so sorry for hurting everyone. I understand why people are angry and sad. I ruined people’s lives and from the deepest part of my soul I apologize.”
— with files from Janet Brown