Jumping Castle Businessman Sentenced to 11 Years After Wiping Out Virals by Torching Their Businesses

• A competitive Australian businessman has been given a taste of justice after plotting to wipe out his rivals
• Former jumping castle business owner James Balcombe has been sentenced to 11 years after burning down several of his competitors' businesses
• The man pled guilty to 11 charges of conspiracy to commit arson in the Victorian County Court

VICTORIA - An Australian businessman let his competitive side get the better of him and now is paying the ultimate price for attempting to wipe out his rivals.

Ex-jumping castle business owner James Balcombe will spend the foreseeable future behind bars after the Victorian County Court sentenced him to 11 years for burning down his competitors' businesses.

Daily Mail reported that Balcombe became obsessed with eliminating his rivals and hatched a plan to ensure he became the king of the jumping castle rental game.

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Australian businessman hires thugs to burn down rivals' jumping businesses

Between 2016 and 2017, the businessman enlisted the help of three men, who he hired to throw Molotov cocktails at his competitor's businesses, paying them a little over R 24 000 per fire.

Afraid that the trail would lead back to him, Balcombe instructed one of the men, Craig Anderson, to set fire to his own company to avoid suspicion, IOL reported.

Thug flips on Australian jumping castle business owner after being arrested

The house of cards came tumbling down when Anderson was arrested and spilt the beans on the entire plan, giving Balcombe up to the police.

The 57-year-old man pleaded guilty to 11 charges of conspiracy to commit arson. While sentenced to 11 years, he will serve eight and a half, having already spent a little over two years behind bars.

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In another story, Briefly News reported that the conflict between e-hailing drivers and taxi operators in Soweto reached a temporary resolution.

E-hailing services have been banned from dropping off and picking up customers inside shopping malls in Soweto for the next three months.

The conditions of the truce have been criticised by South Africans who believe e-hailing drivers are being punished for the actions of minibus taxi drivers.

Source: Briefly News