Vengeful Bloemfontein groom burns down wedding venue

09 August 2013 - 11:42 By Sapa-AFP
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ELEGANT: The rings the bride and groom exchanged at the ceremony
ELEGANT: The rings the bride and groom exchanged at the ceremony
Image: Pictures: TYRONE CROSSMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

An angry South African groom set fire to a wedding venue after the facility cancelled his reception party over unpaid fees, a news website reported Thursday.

Jean Greyling, 28, admitted to starting the fire which burnt down the reception hall near the central town of Bloemfontein, causing damage worth over R3.5 million , according to the Afrikaans news website Beeld.

The July 27 reception was cancelled a day before because he still hadn’t paid the fees.

The fire started shortly after midnight on July 28 and Greyling had been spotted in the area a short while earlier, the news site reported.

Greyling was charged with arson and released on bail. No one was hurt in the blaze.

Other creditors — including the cake baker and florist — said they also hadn’t been paid by Greyling for their services.

Meanwhile his bride, Lianne, appeared in court last week on unrelated charges for fraud worth over R5.2 million.

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