14 DAY TRIAL // British millionaire Anthony Mead got a little heated when he suspected his wife of having an affair. He doused her wardrobe in gasoline, set it on fire and stood on a bench to watch it burn.
It all started with some texting, Mead's attorney Paul Torn explained to DailyMail reporters:
“The family had a day out and during the day, Mrs Ashley-Mead had been on her phone texting quite a lot.”
He had obviously developed feelings of suspicion and distrust over the 7-year marriage, and finally succumbed to his desire for vengeance after the texting incident.
The night club owner torched clothing belonging to his wife, Sutheera Ashley-Mead, in front of their million pound home. The damage was estimated at around £15,000 ($23,859 / €18,916), and his actions led to an arrest for arson.
After the trial, he was convicted and given a 12-month suspended sentence. On top of that, his wife filed for divorce.
Mrs Ashley-Mead confirmed that her husband had already moved out, and added that him torching her belongings was “a bit of a blur now.”
“We did have a lovely life together,” she said.
Asked why his client remained on that bench, a gasoline can in his hand, waiting for the police to arrest him, Mr. Mead's attorney explained that he was in a fragile state of mind, “He had been under a great amount of distress.”
However, a friend of the family suggests that, even when it brought upon accusations in court and headlines in the media, revenge was still sweet for Mead, ‘All in all, he thinks it was worth it.’