‘Arson architect’ jailed for firebombing his good friend’s £67K Vary Rover and sending menacing letters to his household after being threatened with authorized motion for shoddy work on his £3.5m mansion is struck off

Christopher Chapman was caught on CCTV pouring petrol on Robb Simms-Davies’ £67,000 automotive and setting it alight outdoors his £3.5million mansion whereas he was inside having dinner together with his associate and kids

A revered architect who was jailed for torching his friend’s Range Rover and sending menacing letters to his household after being threatened with authorized motion in a row over ‘negligent’ work has been struck off.

Christopher Chapman was caught on CCTV pouring petrol on Robb Simms-Davies’ £67,000 automotive and setting it alight outdoors his £3.5million mansion whereas he was inside having dinner together with his associate and kids.

The architect, who runs his personal observe, returned to his tackle the following day and posted a letter threatening that his household would ‘by no means be secure’ except he withdrew his grievance – and requested ‘simply how actually useful’ his kids had been.

The disciplinary listening to was instructed Chapman – who ran Berkshire based mostly Christopher Chapman Associates – was commissioned in 2019 on an 18-month contract for works on Mr Simms-Davies’s house.

Chapman acquired a authorized letter from Mr Simms-Davies – who was a ‘long-term consumer and enterprise good friend’ in March 2021 – which triggered a breakdown of their relationship.

The letter warned that Mr Simms-Davies deliberate to begin civil proceedings towards Chapman in reference to the work he’d executed at his house, with allegations of ‘negligence’.

He additionally warned Mr Simms-Davies to ‘stroll away’ because it was a battle he would not ‘ever’ win.

The disciplinary listening to was instructed Chapman – who ran Berkshire based mostly Christopher Chapman Associates – was commissioned in 2019 on an 18-month contract for works on Mr Simms-Davies’s house (pictured)

In October final yr, Chapman was jailed for 26 months at Slough Magistrates’ Court docket, Berks, after admitting expenses of arson, possessing a weapon and intimidating a witness.

Now, following his conviction, an Architects Registration Board committee has dominated the ‘very critical’ offences should lead to him being thrown out of the career.

Upon receipt of the letter, Chapman drove straight to Mr Simms-Davies’s mansion in mansion in Warfield, Berkshire, armed with a can of petrol and a stick.

The panel heard he poured petrol over his former good friend’s excessive finish automotive and set it on hearth – as Mr Simms-Davies was at inside having dinner together with his associate and kids.

The subsequent day, Chapman returned to Mr Simms-Davies’s house and posted two letters.

The panel heard one was ‘intimidating’ and had phrases to the impact of: ‘Withdraw your proceedings or your loved ones won’t ever be secure from that ‘tragic accident’ ever.

‘Try to escalate and pay extreme prices. Life-changing.’

Threatening his kids, he added: ‘Simply how actually useful are they? This isn’t a battle you’ll ever win, so stroll away now.’

The second letter from Chapman was ‘not threatening in nature’, as an alternative merely setting out his response to the authorized warning he had acquired, it was heard.

Chapman then despatched a WhatsApp to Mr Simms-Davies to ‘draw consideration’ to the letters he had delivered.

A subsequent police search of Chapman’s house discovered two cans of pepper spray, the panel was instructed.

In courtroom, the then 68 yr previous architect stated that he had ‘misplaced the plot’ in finishing up the arson and delivering the letters.

After being jailed for 26 months at his sentencing listening to, Chapman was launched on licence after serving half of that point in jail.

He was additionally ordered to pay a £190 sufferer surcharge.

Erasing Chapman from the architect register, the panel stated it had a ‘accountability to guard the general public and keep the repute of the career’.

‘The admitted allegation has the potential to decrease each [Chapman]’s repute and that of the career typically,’ they stated.

‘And subsequently the events agree that [Chapman]’s conduct is sufficiently critical to require the imposition of a disciplinary order.

‘In mild of the very critical nature of the offences the events agree that the imposition of an erasure order is an acceptable and proportionate disciplinary order to impose.’

Chapman, an architect for 35 years, specialised within the design of luxurious houses and high-quality artwork galleries. His tasks embrace the Clarendon Fantastic Artwork Gallery in Mayfair, London, and Whitewall Galleries in Birmingham.

The panel heard he agreed to the order and has no intention of resuming observe once more.