Groom started £6m fire after wedding at Peckforton Castle Hotel

A groom will be sentenced today for starting a devastating fire at the country house where his wedding reception was held near the north Shropshire border.

The blaze caused £6 million of damage to Peckforton Castle Hotel, near Tarporley, Cheshire.

It led to almost 200 people, including 11 children, being evacuated from the building.

Max Kay, 36, of Waylands Drive, Hunts Cross, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to a charge of arson that was reckless as to whether life was endangered at Chester Crown Court in December.

The fire broke out in a wing of the castle at around 5am on June 19.

The property developer and father-of-two was the groom at a wedding party which had been using the venue.

A previous hearing was told that Kay and his wife had rowed with staff and the owners of the castle earlier that day over money.

The court heard that Kay was caught on CCTV going into and coming out of the drawing room where the blaze started.

About 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at the grade 1-listed property, a 19th-century country house built in the style of a castle.

Investigators later discovered the fire was started on some curtains.

See also:

• Groom admits to wedding day arson at Peckforton castle

• Newlywed in court over wedding reception fire