A Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of setting a building – which housed police detectives – on fire in 2017.

Thomas Masina, 32, was found to have intentionally set the building ablaze in Dullstroom.

He was sentenced to an effective 10 years’ imprisonment for arson in the Belfast Regional Court on Thursday.

The incident took place at 04:30 as Masina seemingly believed he would not be caught because everyone would be asleep.He was trying to destroy evidence linking him to a case of housebreaking and theft of a motor vehicle. He will appear in the Belfast Regional Court on Thursday to face these charges.

Following the fire, set on 11 May 2017, a case of arson was opened at Dullstroom police station.

“The suspect in this case was unknown at the time, however, detectives worked hard to crack the case and eventually a breakthrough was made when Masina was apprehended and charged,” said provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.