“The judge also pointed out that Benner’s wife was asleep upstairs in the house when Benner used a match to set fire to clothes in the basement.”
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South Thomaston man gets five months for setting home on fire to collect insurance
ROCKLAND, Maine — A 52-year-old South Thomaston man was sentenced Monday to five months in jail after admitting he set fire to his home in an effort to collect insurance.
Dana R. Benner was sentenced Monday morning in Knox County Superior Court to six years in jail with all but five months suspended for arson. Benner also will be placed on probation for three years.
During that probationary period, Benner is prohibited from possessing incendiary devices including a cigarette lighter or cigarettes.
Justice Jeffrey Hjelm cited the potential injury to first responders such as firefighters from the two towns that responded to the Sept. 2, 2008, fire.
The judge also pointed out that Benner’s wife was asleep upstairs in the house when Benner used a match to set fire to clothes in the basement.
Defense attorney Jonathan Handelman cited his client’s mental health issues in seeking no jail time for his client. Handelman said the Dana Benner before the court Monday was not the same man at the time of the fire.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald cited evidence that Benner wanted to get rid of the house that was near foreclosure. He said it was fortunate that no one was hurt in the fire.
Rest here…
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What is the difference of the Banks denying financial assistance to put toward the home loan, and instead BK the trust, collect the insurance, and resell the perfectly good home.