A man who set fire to a pastor’s family home attached to a Ukrainian church in Victoria has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Victoria police say Walter Machinski was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of arson with disregard for human life. The pastor's home is seen in this handout image released by Victoria Police on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Victoria Police **MANDATORY CREDIT**
June 12, 2025 - 10:41 AM
VICTORIA — A man who set fire to a pastor’s family home attached to a Ukrainian church in Victoria has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison.
Victoria police say Walter Machinski was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of arson with disregard for human life after setting the fire in the early morning of April 20, 2022.
A family of five narrowly escaped the home and one person was badly hurt after jumping from a second-storey window.
The arson happened shortly after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, and Acting Deputy Chief Michael Brown says the case generated national attention.
Brown say they used closed-circuit TV footage and a public request for information to find their suspect, who lived in Nanaimo, and determined it was a targeted offence, but not motivated by hate.
Police say the home behind the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Church remains uninhabitable.
Brown says it was incredibly fortunate that the arson didn't end in more serious injures or death.
“The bravery of the family and the swift response of our officers and Victoria firefighters prevented a tragedy," he says.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2025