House burns down on Regent Street

A fire erupted in the wee hours of the morning and the only person left homeless is the elderly man, who is also under suspicion for the blaze. The fire occurred just after midnight at sixty-four Regent Street West and gutted the upper flat of a two storey house, occupied by seventy-seven year old Henry Hemsley. While they continue to investigate, fire officials have a strong idea of what occurred.

Kenneth Mortis, Training Officer, Nat’l Fire Service
“Mr. Hemsley was apparently doing some cooking and the curtain caught in the flames and started the rest of the house ablaze. The owner of the house, Mr. Vernon, is a resident of the United States. The building is not insured and the estimated loss in damage is unknown at this time. Mr. Hemsley was subsequently taken to the Police Department and it was recommended that he be taken to the hospital for some treatment for his medical condition.”

Marion Ali
“So he left the stove unattended?”

Kenneth Mortis
“Yeah, due to his mental case, he was wandering about the house while cooking and we also found spot fires in another portion of the house so it is believed that Mr. Hemsley is subsequently responsible for burning down the property. Our recommendation is that Mr. Hemsley be with some other immediate relative that can look after him properly. A man of his case shouldn’t be left alone in a house doing cooking of any sort.”

Residents of the area told News Five that Hemsley had been living alone at the address for a few years now.