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Dumb Arsonists Set Fire to Taxi Parked at Gas Station, With Driver Inside

Two men from Kent, UK, will be spending the next 6 years behind bars after they set fire to a taxi parked at a gas station, with the driver still inside.
Arsonist sets fire to taxi at a gas station in Kent, UK 57 photos
Photo: YouTube / Kent Police via Daily Mail
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The incident actually occurred last December, but Kent Police has just now released the CCTV footage that helped convict the two, Warren Hearne, 36, and Danny Frost, 27. You can also find it at the bottom of the page: it’s of the “you have to see it to believe it” kind.

According to prosecutors, the taxi was driven by Abdulawar Malikzadev, who happened to be inside when the car was engulfed by flames, Metro reports. Malikzadev had picked Hearne and Frost from a local pub, after they were thrown out.

They told him they wanted to stop at a gas station to buy beer, but they also threatened him with an iron bar and tried to open the doors while the car was moving. Eventually, Malikzadev pulled in at the GB station, and Hearne got out. He never went inside to buy beer, though.

As the footage shows, he lingered outside the car and eventually went to the gas pump. He returned and started dousing the back seat in gas. The driver came out to confront him and, to his luck, walked away from the entire scene moments before Hearne threw a lighter inside.

Clearly, the attack hadn’t been planned, because Frost was still inside the car when the fire broke. In fact, he barely made it out unharmed – but still ran after his mate.

Hearne was sentenced to 6 years and 4 months, while Frost to 5 years and 7 months behind bars. Malikzadev wasn’t hurt, but his car was destroyed: it burned for 10 full minutes before firefighters came and then for another 3 minutes until they were able to put out the blaze.

“This was an extremely dangerous thing to do, which could have caused significant harm to anyone nearby at the time,” investigating officer Detective Constable Kay Brown told the court, as per the same publication. “Luckily the driver escaped the incident without injury but his vehicle, which is his livelihood, was destroyed in the fire. I hope this sentence will give them time to consider the consequences of their actions and make better choices in the future.’

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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