Man who helped start deadly Sudbury townhouse fire sent to prison for 16 years

A man who used Gatorade bottles full of gasoline to set a Sudbury townhouse on fire, killing three people inside, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Philippe Jeannotte, 36, pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and one count of arson for setting the fire on Bruce Avenue in April 2021.

Justice Patrick Boucher handed down his sentence Thursday at the Sudbury Courthouse, pausing at one point when overcome with emotion, speaking about the impact on the families of the three people who died in the fire.

"There was no turning back once the Molotov cocktails were thrown," Boucher told the court.

"We expect to feel safe in our residences."

Jeannotte will get three years credit for the time he has spent in jail awaiting his day in court, which included 125 days under lockdown, so he has 13 years still to serve.

He was also ordered to pay restitution to the City of Greater Sudbury, which operates the row housing damaged by the fire. 

The Crown was seeking 20 years in prison, while the defence suggested that a five-year sentence would be more appropriate.

Boucher said he felt Jeannotte's "remorse is genuine and profound," noting he wept during the victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing.

But the judge also called his actions "reckless" and "far from spontaneous."

The exact details of the crime and the reasons Jeannotte took part in the arson are covered by a publication ban, with one of his co-accused set to be sentenced in April and another expected to challenge his charges at trial.