Ashanti Goodridge, the woman who started Tuesday’s Waterloo Street fire which destroyed two houses, yesterday pleaded guilty to arson, for which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Goodridge, 32, of Lot 137 Waterloo Street, did not express remorse for the crime before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson handed down the sentence. “Look, ah real sorry bout de other people them house but ah satisfy ‘bout de one that ah dey mean fuh bun down,” she told the court.
The woman, who had shared the bottom flat of the building which she set afire, entered the guilty plea when the charge of setting fire to that dwelling house was read to her.
The facts of the charge stated that on January 12, at 137 Waterloo Street, Goodridge maliciously set fire to a dwelling house, while Henry Rodney was in it.
Prosecutor Stephen Telford told the court that the house belonged to Goodridge’s sister Dophine Joseph, who resides overseas.
He said that popular actor Rodney had rented the upper section of the house and Goodridge would collect the rent on behalf of her sister.
However, he noted that Joseph subsequently stopped Goodridge from collecting rent, which may have fuelled her contempt towards her family and Rodney’s.
Telford further said that Goodridge is a known alcoholic and on the day in question she had been under the influence of alcohol, both when she purchased the gasoline and set the house on fire. He also noted that prior to this incident Goodridge would usually verbally abuse neighbours and also Rodney and his family.
Goodridge appeared surprised at the prosecutor’s statements. “I am not an alcoholic and I when I set fire to de house I do it of sound mind,” she said.
She added that she endured years of torment from Rodney and his family. She explained that Rodney and his family “always making noises at de top part ah de house and ah can’t get no peace.” She added that when she would ask them to stop, they usually got angry and started to argue with her. “So one de day, I get vex and I pour lil ah de gasoline pun a mattress but I din really wan do it,” she said. According to Goodridge, what eventually led her to go through with the act was that at that said moment, Rodney’s family started to make noise by stomping on the floor. She said that this infuriated her even more so she got a match and set the place on fire.
In addition to the destruction of the two houses, three others were scorched.
