Squatter set fire to his occupied house in Estepona following a bar altercation

The trouble started in the early hours of the morning, when a man was kicked out of a bar in Estepona for disturbing the customers.

He didn't leave peacefully, he left only after repeatedly threatening the bartender: "When you finish up work, I'm going to kill you. I know your wife and your car."

Things didn't end there and, after causing further disturbances, he ended up setting fire to the house where he was actually squatting. All his ranting and raving resulted in a nearly nine-year prison sentence for the perpetrator, a conviction now upheld by Andalucía's high court of justice (TSJA).

The defendant was arrested around 9:00pm on 21 February 2024, when he set fire to a sofa and several items that he had placed at the property entrance. This caused "a serious situation for those living in adjacent houses", since the properties were connected by the upper floor and shared the same roof.

Neighbours reacted quickly and stepped outside to try fighting the flames with fire extinguishers. They also did their best to keep the accused away from the fire. According to the ruling, when he saw them trying to put out the fire, the man started lighting rags and pieces of cardboard as a makeshift torch to spread the fire to the building.

The man, of Moroccan origin and residing in Spain without proper documentation, was arrested after firefighters from the provincial fire brigade and paramedics from the 061 emergency service responded to the arson. That day, however, police had already received several calls because the man was acting erratically.

The first incident occurred at 6:30am, when he was ejected from a bar located near his squat for disturbing customers. That is when his threats began, directed at both neighbours and the bartender. He then stated that he was going to kill the bartender when he finished work and would burn the business down.

A short time later, he returned to the bar carrying a chain with a metal ball. The bar's owner and manager had gone to the premises after learning about the threats, which had caused the employee considerable anxiety and unease.

The defendant returned and this time approached the owner, brandishing two pistols. It is unknown whether they were real or replicas, but he then warned that he was going to "kill his bartender".

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the threats and 7.5 years for the arson. Furthermore, it was agreed he would be deported from Spanish territory, with a 10-year ban on re-entering Spain, as soon as he is granted third-degree status or conditional release.