One of the men who set fire to a Weston cafe, which shattered the new owners who had only taken possession hours earlier, has been sentenced to three years in jail.
Nick Parlov, 23, and Leo Nicholas Eliadis, 47, were found guilty last month of the attack on Brierly's Cafe in 2014.
The crown argued during the trial that Parlov was the one who lit the fire, while Eliadis organised the crime.
In sentencing, Chief Justice Helen Murrell told the ACT Supreme Court imprisonment was the only sensible sentence.
She noted Parlov was the subject of disciplinary measures on 13 occasions during time behind bars, including positive drug tests, and he was a cannabis and methylamphetamine user.
She told the court Parlov had "shown little aptitude for rehabilitation", but he was a relatively young man and may be in danger of institutionalisation if his offending behaviour was not addressed.
But she also noted Parlov demonstrated no remorse.
Parlov will be eligible for parole in October.
A victim impact statement from the owners of the cafe revealed how the fire had caused them personal and financial ruin.
The court heard once the cafe reopened, the owners' young child refused to enter as she had seen the trauma her parents had been through.
The owner said he and his wife received the keys at 6:00pm but just after midnight received a phone call from the previous owner to say the fire alarm was going off.
He said "the whole place had gone up" and his insurer had not processed the paperwork correctly, meaning all of the cafe's contents were not insured.
In the statement, the owner said he nearly lost everything, including his marriage, and relied on family and friends to help them through the financial burden.
Eliadis will be sentenced tomorrow.
