West Newbury man charged with burning girlfriend's car

Dave Rogers, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·2 min read

Mar. 31—WEST NEWBURY — The local owner of a Revere demolition company narrowly avoided being thrown in jail Tuesday after he was charged with torching his then-girlfriend's $70,000 Audi convertible in June after an argument.

Benjamin Ketschke, 45, of River Meadow Court was summonsed to court in June on charges of burning a motor vehicle, malicious destruction of property more than $1,200 and interfering with a firefighter. On March 16, a Newburyport District Court clerk magistrate ruled there was enough probable cause to arraign Ketschke.

At Ketschke's arraignment Tuesday in District Court, Essex County prosecutor Erin McAndrews filed a motion to find him too dangerous to the former girlfriend or society to be granted bail while awaiting trial.

Ketschke's attorney said it was unfair to find his client dangerous, telling Judge Peter Doyle that Ketschke came to court on his own and there have been no problems between the woman and Ketschke since the incident. The two people, the attorney added, still work together at the Revere business and see each other during the work week.

"They're the best of friends," the attorney said.

Doyle sided with Ketschke's attorney and denied McAndrews' motion. But Doyle ordered that Ketschke not abuse or harass the woman and stay away from her home. He also cannot have any firearms.

Ketschke is due back in court May 5 for a pretrial hearing.

West Newbury firefighters responded to the River Meadow Court residence — where the two lived — shortly after midnight on June 7 and saw the Audi on fire in the driveway. The girlfriend had left the home prior to the fire after a "verbal altercation," state Trooper Kenneth Belben wrote in his report.

Belben works for the state police fire investigation unit in Stow.

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