Man sentenced for fire at BYU

Upset with the current political climate and stymied by more traditional measures, a young Utah man said he set fire to a BYU animal science facility out of frustration.

But after being sentenced Tuesday to 2 1/2 years in prison for the act, Joshua Demmitt said he now knows there are better ways to advance a cause.

"We were young. We were frustrated," Demmitt said following his sentencing hearing.

In a conservative state such as Utah, the 19-year-old said he believed that using the fire to make a statement in favor of animal rights was "the only way to say something."

In the future, Demmitt said he will continue to pursue his causes through protesting, picketing and writing letters.

In court, Demmitt apologized for his actions and said he regrets helping set the July 8 fire at Brigham Young University's Ellsworth Farm.

"I wish I could take it back every day," he said.

During the attack on the animal husbandry facility, Demmitt and Harrison David Burrows, both 18 at the time, left behind spray-painted messages indicating they were involved with the Animal Liberation Front. They freed several animals, including rabbits.

Burrows also received a 30-month prison term when sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge David Winder.

Both men pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of property by fire. The charge normally carries a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, but federal prosecutors made a rare motion that allowed Winder and U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Greene to impose a sentence below the mandatory term.

On Tuesday, Greene cautioned Demmitt against using arson to make a political statement, albeit a legitimate one.

"You got caught up in a movement that might have some merit . . . but that's a far cry from arson and any other kind of activity that could result in not only massive destruction of property, as it did here, but also human life endangerment," the judge said. "It was a foolish thing to do, and you're the one who pays the price."

Demmitt and Burrows will share a $75,898 restitution order to reimburse the school for damage caused by the fire.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com