Australian Black Metal Fan Gets Three Years For Church Blaze
September 25, 2005News.com.au is reporting that an Australian heavy metal music fan who torched a century-old church in Melbourne has been sentenced to three years in youth detention.
Novak Majstorovic (photo),19, of suburban St Albans, appeared for sentencing Monday (Sept. 26) in Victoria's County Court before Judge Jeanette Morrish.
Majstorovic, a fan of BURZUM, a Norwegian black metal band which advocated the burning of churches, has pleaded guilty to torching the 1896-built St Albans Uniting Church, in 2004.
In sentencing, Judge Morrish said Majstorovic's crimes of burglary and arson were serious and had caused more than $3 million in damage.
She said Majstorovic was an impressionable young man, that he had admitted his guilt early and that he had apologized to parishioners.
"I am now satisfied that you have taken very positive steps towards your rehabilitation," Judge Morrish said.
The court had previousky heard Majstorovic was the sole carer of his mother, who had schizophrenia, that he was isolated socially and he had taken on the beliefs espoused by black metal band BURZUM.
BURZUM espouses anti-Christian, anti-church beliefs and the court heard its lead singer was believed to be in jail for murder.
"Novak has been seduced by black metal music," Steve Riordan, a juvenile justice worker from the state Department of Human Services, told the court earlier in the month.
"He believes the doctrines and has yet to be challenged over that."
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