Swansea: Rapper jailed after petrol bombing wrong home

A rapper who petrol-bombed a woman's home, thinking it was the house of his rap rival, has been jailed for almost 10 years.

Michael Athernought, 25, from Tontine Street, Swansea, admitted committing arson with intent to endanger lives.

His intended victim was fellow rapper Ricky Williams - also known as Chronic Official - following a rap feud.

However, he mistakenly threw the homemade explosive at the home of a woman and her teenage son.

Athernought threw the petrol-bomb at the door of a property on Clyndu Street, Morriston, just after 03:00 GMT on 16 November last year.

Three days before, Athernought had posted a rap video directed at Mr Williams following long feud between the rappers.

He threatened to "burn your house to the ground", adding: "War means war."

The dispute began when Athernought made negative comments about one of Mr Williams's songs online, prosecutor Ian Wright QC told the court.

The house that was bombed belonged to Helen Davies and her teenage son, who both woke to the sound of their fire alarm and people banging on their door.

After knocking down the door, the neighbours managed to get Ms Davies and her son to safety.

A fire investigator later concluded that if the neighbours had not acted so quickly, the flames could have enveloped the whole house.

Shortly after, Athernought was arrested at home where South Wales Police officers found a jerrycan of petrol and a towel with pieces torn from it.

Athernought was labelled "pathetic" and "childish" by Judge Paul Thomas QC, sentencing him at Swansea Crown Court on Monday.

"A more pathetic, childish reason for acting as you did is frankly quite difficult to imagine," said Judge Thomas.

"Instead of acting as a grown-up you decided, because you think of yourself as some sort of pseudo-gangster, to make a video."

"In that video you made threats to burn his house down. It was as graphically threatening as it was pathetically childish," he added.

"In actual fact, due to your incompetence, you got the wrong house.

"Obviously, you seem to think that you can get away with what you want, because you're in some way above all of that, being, of course, an important rapper."

He handed Athernought an extended sentence of nine years and nine months, telling him he would have to serve four years and six months in prison before being released on licence for the remainder.