Man set fire to his own car, blamed wife

Nicolai Magrin, 36 of Sliema was today convicted of having set fire to his own car and filing a false report to the police. He said condemned to a nine-month jail term suspended for 18 months. The court heard that the case happened on January 21, 2011 at about 2.30 a.m. at Sliema seafront. A bystander, Albereto Petraglia, had told the police he had seen a man, later identified as the accused, getting in and then out of the car, carrying a bottle. As he came out of the vehicle, smoke could be seen coming out. The man ran away. He came across a woman who asked him whether the car was his, but he said it wasn't. Later Mr Magrin reported the fire to the police and said he suspected involvement by his wife as pay-back for a police report he had filed against her the day before. He also alleged battering by the police. During the police investigations, he also claimed that a document found in his pocket had been drenched with fuel when he refilled his lighter. The court, in finding Mr Magrin guilty, also found that his claim of battering by the police was unproven and he had no signs of injury. The court said it was convinced that the purpose of the whole case was for Mr Magrin to cause...