A BUSINESSMAN who orchestrated an attempted $20 million insurance scam that involved setting fire to the former West Australian headquarters of Bunnings has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
After Bunnings vacated the warehouse, 65-year-old Hossean Pourzand hatched a scheme for an associate to disguise himself and start the blaze in March 2017.
It took firefighters six hours to contain the flames and Pourzand made a false insurance claim the next day, the WA Supreme Court heard on Monday.
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READ NOWJustice Stephen Hall said Pourzand had the most to gain from the extensive damage caused to the Welshpool building.
Pourzand’s associate had made secret recordings of his meetings with the businessman, which led to Pourzand’s downfall.
The court heard Pourzand had reimbursed his insurance company $500,000 and given a further $38,000 to emergency services.
Pourzand pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years and four months in jail.
He must spend at least five years and four months behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.