4-year prison sentence for Surrey arsonist who burned church, townhouse

Questions unanswered in arson case A woman who burned a church and torched a townhouse has been sentenced but questions about her motive remain unanswered.

A woman who burned a church and torched a townhome with people inside learned her fate Friday.

A provincial court judge in Surrey sentenced 35-year-old Kathleen Panek to four years in prison after she pleaded guilty to two arson-related offences.

In July of last year, surveillance video captured Panek igniting door decorations at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey. That fire wasn’t large, but five days later, she came back after an apparent fight with her boyfriend and started a blaze that destroyed the church building.

“It is a senseless act that she did that doesn’t benefit her and doesn’t benefit us. It’s just a lot of destruction for nothing,” said Medhat Elmasry, who is a member of the church and sits on its board.

A few months before that, Panek also started a fire at a Surrey townhouse that she had no connection to. She then briefly watched the fire burn but did not call for help or alert anyone.

The people inside at the time escaped safely, however the damage kept them out of their home for months.

The court heard Panek has addictions and mental health issues but she did not participate in a psychological assessment. The judge said Panek’s motive for the offences is unclear and is not convinced the accused was under the influence of drugs at the time.

“I wanted to be here today to understand why. Why did she do this? And I leave the court not really understanding why,” said Elmasry.

The church fire happened at a time when a number of churches in Canada were vandalized or burned after the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools.

“We thought maybe that had something to do with it. What we’re seeing today, there doesn’t seem to be a connection,” Elmasry said.

The Crown previously said Panek’s crimes were not motivated by hate, bias or discrimination.

Members of the church that was destroyed have been meeting at a community centre in Surrey for which Elmasry said they are grateful. However, he says the church faces an uphill battle.

He said insurance only covers about one-fifth of the cost of rebuilding.

“To us it is horrible what happened. It’s going to be very difficult for us to rebuild,” he said.