Nightclub arson attack in Derry may be linked to homophobia

An arson attack on a nightclub in Derry may have been motivated by homophobia, a court has heard.

Sebastian Szczap (21), a resident of Kular Court in Sackville Street, Derry, has been officially charged with an arson attack on the Envy nightclub which occurred on January 9, 2019.

The alarm was raised at 7pm that day as flames engulfed the LGBTQ+ space. All surrounding properties were promptly evacuated, gcn.ie reports.

According to the District Judge, a man wearing a hat was shown on CCTV entering the nightclub through a rear door shortly before the fire was discovered. The man disposed of the hat, which was later uncovered by the PSNI. DNA extracted from the hat matched that of the defendant, and clothes found in his accommodation matched the clothes worn by the accused in the CCTV footage. says gcn.ie in their reporting.