Bristol Man Sets Fire to Club in Fiery Threat Over Vaccine Passports
Owen Marshall, 29, of Royate Hill, Bristol, sparked panic when he set fire to a petrol-soaked towel posted through the letterbox of popular nightclub SWX. This arson attack came just two months after he personally delivered a letter threatening to “burn” the venue.
Terrifying Warning to Mayor and Other Nightclubs
The nightmare didn’t stop there. The very next day, on July 14, Marshall was caught on CCTV dropping a letter at the home of Bristol’s Mayor Marvin Rees. The note claimed responsibility for the SWX fire and warned other nightlife spots to take notice.
On July 28, the trouble escalated when Marshall hurled a brick through the window of the Barley Mow pub on Barton Road. Attached was a handwritten note slamming vaccine passports as a “breach of human rights.”
Just days later, on August 2, Lakota nightclub in Bristol received a threatening letter demanding it not introduce Covid passports — or it would “sustain substantial damage like SWX.”
Tracking Down the Arsonist
Police launched a major investigation, reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV around the Nelson Street nightclub. Officers traced the suspect’s movements to a shop on Fishponds Road, where he bought a box of matches used in the attack.
Following a public appeal, Marshall was identified and arrested. Initially denying all charges, he later pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court in September.
Justice Served: Sentenced for Arson and Threatening Crime
On Wednesday, December 8, Marshall was sentenced for arson reckless as to whether life was endangered, criminal damage, and making threats to cause criminal damage. His dangerous campaign against vaccine passports has finally come to an end.
