AUGUSTA, Maine — The man convicted of setting fire to a topless coffee shop in Vassalboro was sentenced Thursday to the maximum sentence of 30 years.
Raymond Bellavance Jr., 51, was convicted Dec. 30, 2011, of class A arson for setting fire on June 3, 2009, to the building — a former motel — that housed the coffee shop. Seven people, including two infants, who were asleep in the building at the time escaped without injury.
During the trial, Kennebec County Deputy District Attorney Alan Kelley said Bellavance started the fire because he did not like the fact that his then-girlfriend, Krista MacIntyre, was a waitress at the coffee shop and had a sexual relationship with the owner, Donald Crabtree.
Justice Michaela Murphy said during the hearing in Kennebec County Superior Court on Thursday that she imposed the maximum sentence without any time suspended because it was “sheer luck” that the arson didn’t lead to a multiple homicide case.
“This was a serious, dramatic … fire,” Murphy said. “It was set in a time and manner that would maximize damage.”
Murphy also cited Bellavance’s extensive criminal history and his record of violating court orders among her reasons for the lengthy sentence.
Bellavance’s attorney, Andrews Campbell, said the sentence was harsh and he plans to appeal.
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- Raymond Bellavance Jr. listens to closing arguments in December 2011, at Kennebec Superior Court in Augusta.
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