Man sentenced after arson attacks on farms caused £750k damage

One blaze destroyed a farm building and resulted in the death of 120 pigs, Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told
One blaze destroyed a farm building and resulted in the death of 120 pigs, Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told

A 23-year-old man who set three farms ablaze, causing around £750,000 worth of damage, has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Jordan Chenery appeared before Norwich Magistrates’ Court having previously pleaded not guilty to three counts of arson.

The charges relate to a number of incidents that occurred in 2019.

On 26 September 2019, Chenery set alight to a barn in Bressingham which destroyed the building and resulted in the death of 120 pigs.

The blaze also damaged a large number of hay bales and farm machinery.

The second incident, on 27 September 2019, involved a large stack of hay bales being set alight in Kenninghall.

The third incident, also in Bressingham, saw Chenery set 400 tonnes of straw alight on 3 October 2019.

Chenery, from Basildon, Essex, was sentenced to a total of four years in prison on 8 September 2022.

Investigating officer, PC Phil Cook, said: “Farms being targeted by arson are thankfully rare however they have an unmeasurable impact on the victim and the wider rural communities.

"We take rural crime seriously and we are pleased that on this occasion we have been able to identify and successfully prosecute the male responsible for the offending.”