Tianzhao “Alex” Feng, the Chinese national who last month pleaded guilty to burning down the XPZ Supermarket, is set to be sentenced today.
The man, an employee with the Sir Sydney Walling Highway-located enterprise up to the point of its destruction, pleaded guilty to arson in the High Court on February 17 and was set to be sentenced on March 21 by Justice Ann-Marie Smith.
However, the sentencing was postponed, with the new date set for today.
Feng was arrested and charged a few days after the building went up in flames in the early hours of June 1 2021, as he was said to be unaccounted for immediately afterwards.
He made his first appearance in the St John’s Magistrate’s Court later that month and was denied bail on the grounds that he presented a flight risk. He has been remanded to His Majesty’s Prison ever since.
The destruction of the store put a slight dampener on the local economy, with dozens of people losing their jobs as a result.
Feng is being represented by attorney Wendel Robinson.