Man who lost house to fire shocked person he knows charged with arson
'You can't be any part of God if you don't forgive people,' says John Neville
John Neville breaks down when he's asked if he can forgive the man charged with setting fire to his house.
"If you don't forgive anybody, you're no part of God," he says, fighting back tears. "You can't be any part of God if you don't forgive people."
Neville, a carver and supportive housing worker for the Nunatsiavut government, had one shock earlier this year when his Happy Valley-Goose Bay home was gutted by fire.
He had another one Friday when a man he knows was arrested and charged with arson.
John Henoche, 30, has been charged with arson, breaking and entering, and breaches of probation. Henoche lived in government housing that Neville supervised.
'He was a nice young feller'
Neville said he was stunned to learn of Henoche's arrest.
"I wouldn't know how I'd feel if I'd had to see the police taking him," he said. "He was a nice young feller."
Neville said he never had any problems with Henoche, who had told him he planned to become a chef.
"When I came to work yesterday morning I went up and opened the door and looked in his room, it was like I was looking for him," he said.
"Not to hurt him, just wanted to see him, to see how he was, because we care for those people at work here.
I'm going to pray for Johnny, I don't care.- John Neville
"We care for them, because we know what it's like … I grew up very poor, hungry, going to be hungry."
Neville said he finds Henoche's lengthy criminal record, which includes assault and sexual assault, "hard to believe."
"I didn't take him to be that kind of guy. I know hard cases too, but I didn't take Johnny to be like that, not to be so bad as that," he said.
"I'm sure, yes, that he had a past, but I was just hoping he'd turn himself around and go to school and become a chef and go and do good for himself."
Neville said he was hoping to help Henoche achieve his goal of becoming a chef.
"I'm going to pray for Johnny, I don't care," he said.
"I went across the river the other day and I went into the little church over there, and the first thing come to mind was that young feller, and in my mind I said, 'Our father, I gotta pray for that boy.'"
Henoche is due in court Aug. 29.
With files from the Labrador Morning Show