A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a GCC national to more than seven years in jail and imposed a fine of QR3,000 for setting fire to his vehicle while intoxicated.

Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported that the Public Prosecution referred the defendant to the court accusing him of intentionally setting fire to his vehicle parked on the street, putting the lives of others at risk, besides being intoxicated.

According to the chargesheet, the defendant drank a substantial amount of alcohol and wine before becoming highly intoxicated and he hired a private taxi. He went to a fuel station and bought some petrol and went back to the place where his vehicle was parked.

He poured petrol on the car and set it on fire, until it was completely burnt out. The incident took place in the Al Shammal area.

During interrogations, the defendant claimed he was suffering from psychiatric troubles and was still under treatment.

However, the official psychiatric report about his case affirmed that his condition was stable and he was a frequent abuser of alcohol. The report also stressed that he was aware of his actions and can be accountable for it.