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Source: ONE News
A dispute between two Nelson women and a local man escalated into a firebombing on Saturday night, police say.
The man was lucky to escape from his home uninjured after two molotov cocktails were thrown at his house in Richmond about 11pm, Detective Aaron Kennaway of Nelson police said.
Two women, aged 17 and 20, and a 19-year-old man were arrested on Sunday and charged with wilfully setting fire to property.
Kennaway said the women had had a dispute with the man who lived at the property, and had asked police for help, which they were given.
He was unable to give further details of the dispute as it was currently before the courts.
The women then took matters into their own hands and, along with the male offender, went to the victim's house and threw two molotov cocktails, one of which entered the house through a window.
It was unclear who had made the firebombs, Kennaway said.
The victim was asleep inside at the time and was woken by a smoke alarm.
He awoke and managed to stamp out the fire before escaping from the house, Kennaway said.
"If he hadn't woken up to the sound of that fire alarm, we'd be dealing with a murder," he said.
The fire caused damage to carpet, curtains and the ceiling of the house, and the concrete outside was scorched.
The three accused were granted bail and would reappear in court on January 11.
