TRURO, N.S. — HARRY SULLIVAN
TRURO NEWS
TRURO, N.S. – A Belmont woman has been sentenced to 14 months in jail for trying to convince another woman to burn down a neighbouring house.
Beverley Francis Redden, 58, of Upper Belmont Road, was also given an additional month of consecutive jail time for uttering a threat to Tesha Grant that she wanted to burn a house belonging to Tiffany Harnish and Kyle Turner.
Redden was found guilty last fall of counselling Grant to commit arson on the Harnish/Turner property between April 30 and June 2, 2017. The historic, two-storey house at 11 Upper Belmont Rd., was destroyed by fire June 1, 2017. No arson charges were laid following the incident.
Redden was sentenced Jan. 17. In a written decision of the trial, released Nov. 12, provincial court Judge Al Bégin said "... Redden clearly intended that Ms. Grant would commit the arson to the Harnish/Turner house. She came up with the plan that involved one of them climbing onto the freezer and using the gas she kept in a mason jar to light the fire."
Bégin determined there was no evidence Grant set the house on fire but said the Crown had provided sufficient evidence to prove Redden had both counselled her to do so and threatened to do so.
After she is released from custody, Redden will be placed on probation for two years. Under the conditions of her probation order, Redden is not permitted to consume, use or possess alcohol or illicit drugs, including marijuana, without a valid prescription. She is also not permitted to enter establishments where alcohol is sold as a primary form of business.
Additionally, she was ordered to be assessed for counselling as directed for alcohol consumption and she must successfully take counselling for drug use, anger management, mental health issues and for grief management.
Crown prosecutor Thomas Kayter previously told the Truro News there was no evidence to suggest Redden had personal issues with either Harnish or Turner, but that she just didn't want anyone occupying the house because it would infringe on her own privacy.
"I think she was disgruntled that that house would be renovated and re-occupied by anybody," Kayter said. "She went to great lengths to find somebody to do it, she threatened to do it and ultimately that house burned to the ground."
According to court evidence, the house was not insured, which resulted in a "substantial" loss to Harnish and Turner, who also had to pay $5,000 to have the property cleaned up after the fire.
