It has been one year since arsonist Hakeen Kigundu set fire to a block of flats in Reading, killing two innocent men and injuring several residents.

The 32 year old executed his plan to send Rowe Court up in flames on December 15 last year after being evicted from his flat there and losing his job as a BT fibre optic engineer. 

As residents desperately tried to escape the burning buiding, Kigundu drove himself to Reading police station where he confessed to his crime and claimed he had been "full of fury" but regretted his actions. 

But it was too late by that point. The block was engulfed with flames, trapping residents Richard Burgess, 46, and Neil Morris, 45, inside. The pair were found dead during an extensive search and rescue operation by the emergency services.

Homes and possessions were destroyed while many  were left with serious injuries. The community was left reeling from the horrific event which occurred just weeks before Christmas. 

Reading Chronicle:

Kigundu was quickly arrested, detained and appeared in court earlier this year. But where is Kigundu now? 

The arsonist is currently in prison and thanks to the sentence he was handed by Justice Holgate, he will never be released.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, two counts of grievous bodily harm and one count of arson with intent to endanger life at Reading Crown Court on September 20. 

The judge handed Kigundu a rare whole-life order, meaning he will never leave prison. He is just one of 60 people in the UK to be handed such a sentence. 

Reading Chronicle:

Sentencing the murderer back in September, Justice Holgate called it a “horrifying attack” and that “he intended to cause as much damage and harm as possible and in particular he intended to cause the deaths". 

Justice Holgate said: “He planned to commit the attack at night because that would reduce the chance of residents discovering the huge amount of petrol.”

He continued: “I do not accept that any real remorse has been shown, the acceptance of guilt, yes, but not remorse.”

Kigundu apologised in court for the arson, saying he was filled with regret. 

The judge heard how Kigundu made a voicenote of his intention to cause death, bought 50 litres of petrol and poured it on the ground floor of his former home before igniting the fire on December 15.

While he expressed his anger at ‘everything’ to an officer on the station phone, Richard Burgess and Neil Morris were dying in the fire and other residents hurled themselves from Rowe Court.

The prosecution and defence disagreed over the extent to which Kigundu premeditated his crimes and whether a whole-life sentence was necessary.

“What I’m trying to stress is that this isn’t a calm, linear set of decisions taken by the defendant leading inextricably to a specific date and a specific time,” said Rosina Cottage QC, defending.

She said: “It is clear that he is not thinking in a way that right minded, calm, rational people do.”