A Welsh rapper has been jailed for almost 10 years for bombing a woman’s home after mistaking it for his rival’s home.
Michael Jordan Athernought, 25, of Tontine Street, Swansea, has admitted to committing arson with intent to endanger lives after throwing a homemade explosive at the door of a property in Clyndu Street, Morriston, circa 3 a.m. on November 16.
Athernought, who raps as Ath, took aim at rapper Ricky Williams, also known as the Chronic Official.
The couple had been in a longtime feud.
Instead, Athernought burned down the home of Helen Davies and her teenage son, who was sleeping downstairs after breaking his leg.
They were awakened by the sound of their fire alarm and people knocking on the door.
Two neighbours, including one of Mr Williams’ brothers, heard shards of glass and then the ‘whoosh’ of the door catching fire, along with a man running away.
Neighbors managed to get Ms Davies and her son to safety and had mostly put out the blaze by the time firefighters arrived.
A fire investigator later said that if neighbors hadn’t acted so quickly, the flames could have engulfed the house.
Judge Paul Thomas QC called the rapper ‘pathetic’ and ‘childish’ during a hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, describing him as someone who sees himself as a ‘pseudo-gangster’.
Just three days before the attack, Athernought posted a video directed at Mr Williams on YouTube threatening to ‘burn down your house’, adding: ‘War is war’.
Athernought, who appears topless in the clip wearing a gold cross on a chain, said he was drunk in the video, which has been viewed 71 times.
He took down the video after committing the offence.
Ian Wright QC, prosecuting, told the court the dispute began when Athernought made negative comments about Mr Williams’ song on Facebook and, in retaliation, Mr Williams posted a “diss track” on Athernought.
The attack was ‘pathetically childish’
South Wales Police arrested Athernought at his home shortly after the incident, where officers found a jerry can of petrol and a towel torn into pieces.
In a statement to the court, Ms Davies said the incident impacted her mental health and caused her to want to leave the area.
Judge Thomas told Athernought: “You got involved in a feud with fellow rapper Ricky Williams over comments he made about something you posted.
“A more pathetic, childish reason to act the way you did is frankly quite hard to imagine.
“Instead of acting like an adult, you decided, because you consider yourself some kind of pseudo-gangster, to make a video.
“And in that video, you threatened to burn down his house. It was as graphically threatening as it was pathetically childish.
“You followed through on your threats by going to what you thought was his house and setting it on fire using accelerators.
“Actually, because of your incompetence, you went to the wrong house.”
The judge gave Athernought an extended sentence of nine years and nine months, telling him he would serve four years and six months in prison before being released on license for the remainder of the sentence.
He also ordered him to pay a surcharge upon his release and imposed a 10-year restraining order.
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