A man charged with setting fire to a rural residence in the Sundre area has been sent to prison.
Derek Littlejohn was sentenced on two counts in the structural fire at a residence northwest of Sundre in the Bearberry area, along Highway 584.
Police arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames on a January evening in 2016. Investigation revealed that the then-43-year-old man from the Sundre area doused the house with gasoline, as well as a female resident who was at home at the time.
The house caught fire after gasoline had been thrown on a wood-burning stove.
The then-45-year-old woman, who owned the home, managed to escape uninjured and fled to a neighbouring residence for safety. It was at that time the call to 911 was made.
The man and the woman were known to each other.
Littlejohn was charged with arson, criminal negligence, assault with a weapon, unlawful confinement and breach of probation.
On Monday, Littlejohn received three years behind bars, followed by a two-year probation, plus a five-year firearm prohibition.
He was also sentenced to 30 days concurrent for failing to comply with a probationary order.
Other charges were withdrawn by the courts.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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