An elderly man charged with lighting a minivan on fire outside Vancouver City Hall last October has pleaded guilty to arson.
Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Laura Bakan heard Wednesday that Thien Hiep Ngo, 79, parked his vehicle on the West 12th Ave side of city hall and lit a rope as a fuse to detonate the van, which contained jerry cans with 100 litres of gas.
While the vehicle was very damaged, “thankfully there was no explosion,” Crown prosecutor Ryan Elias said about the on Oct. 6 incident.
Bakan went further, noting the incident took place at rush hour.
“This was a very fortunate outcome given the possibility of serious injury and death,” the judge said.
It’s the third time Ngo has lit a vehicle on fire to get the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump on the issue of aggression by the Peoples’ Republic of China. He also once lit himself on fire.
“He said it was a form of protest,” Elias said. “It no doubt caused fear at city hall.”
Moreover, he said, the situation had the potential to cause injury or death.
Still, said defence lawyer Sonja Luck, Ngo had told police he didn’t want to hurt anyone.
“He looked around to make sure no people or vehicles were nearby,” Luck said, noting her client suffers from a delusional disorder, a personality disorder and exhibits paranoid schizophrenic personality traits. He has also been certified under B.C.’s Mental Health Act.
Ngo has twice earlier been convicted of the same offence.
What happened?
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services responded to reports of a vehicle on fire at 453 W 12th Ave at 5:15 p.m. on the day in question.
Two fire engines and six hazmat vehicles were dispatched to the scene, VFRS Capt. Matthew Trudeau said at the time.
A section of 12th Avenue between Cambie and Yukon streets was closed while crews battled the blaze and the Vancouver Police Department responded to the scene.
Ngo was charged with mischief, possession of explosives with intent to endanger life or cause property damage, possession of an incendiary material, incendiary device or explosive substance, and arson to property, according to a news release.
He pleaded guilty to arson to his own property.
Bakan sentenced Ngo to a two-year conditional sentence with house arrest, as well as three years’ probation.
She said his significant mental health issues, including delusional thinking, were a factor in the case.
Bakan heard Ngo fled the Communist government in his native Vietnam in December 1982. The court was told he had lost his farm property there and had to join the military where he learned about explosives.
Bakan noted his time in the Vietnamese military, “where unfortunately he learned to deal with explosive devices.”
She said his belief he could control the situation was part of his delusional thinking.
