Iraqi Asylum Seeker Admits Hotel Fires, Endangering Refugees

0:00On March 18, a 37-year-old asylum-seeker from Iraq has admitted starting two fires at hotels used to house refugees in Essex. Rwand Abdul Rahman, who claimed to be a sheep farmer, set the first blaze at the Phoenix Hotel in north-wheeled on March 28 last year. Eight days later, on April 5, he ignited another at the Bell Hotel in Epping. Both places were packed with asylum-seekers at the time. The Phoenix fire quickly spread, wiping out one whole wing of the building. Luckily, staff hit the alarm fast, and no one was seriously hurt or killed. After the first fire, Abdul Rahman got moved to the Bell for safety. His roommate was out when he lit the beds in their room on fire. Quick action there limited the damage to just the room and a bit of the hallway. Fire investigators confirmed. Both were deliberate, started with a naked flame on mattresses. They warned the blazes pose real risks to lives of residents, staff, and rescuers, especially

1:00after how fast the first one grew. Prosecutors at Council for Crown Court say he knew better by the second fire, but of Abdul Rahman denies endangering anyone on purpose or recklessly. The trial now hinges on that key question as evidence unfolds.