Guest accused of endangering lives after allegedly setting fire to country hotel will stand trial
A guest accused of endangering lives after setting fire to a 200-year-old Staffordshire country house hotel will face trial in June.
The Hatherton Country House Hotel, Penkridge, was damaged by fire on Saturday, December 2 last year.
Sansom Teklematiam, 23, was arrested and was remanded in custody at a previous hearing at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates Court.
Teklematiam appeared before Stafford Crown Court yesterday charged with arson with intent to danger life and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.
The court heard: "Contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1971 on December 2 at Penkridge in the county of Staffordshire committed arson in that without lawful excuse damaged by fire The Hatherton Country House Hotel belonging to Sutton Hotels Group intending to destroy or damage property or being reckless as to whether property would be destroyed or damaged and intending by the damage to endanger the life of another person."
Teklematiam pleaded not guilty to both counts and will stand trial on June 3.
Hatherton House dates back to 1831 and was a country club in the 1980s but has been run as a hotel since 1991. A planning application was submitted in 2022 to convert the hotel into 60 apartments.