Story Archive

The Battle for the Castles

James Balcombe’s Awesome Party business in Melbourne, Vic., Australia, had everything from bouncy castles to a stretch limo, but it seems he wasn’t sure that would be enough to defeat his business rivals. So, police say, he offered one of his drivers $2,000 a shot to burn out his competition. Five party businesses suffered a total of 10 fires. Balcombe even tried to avoid getting caught by having a fire set at Awesome Party, police say. There were “massive explosions,” a neighbor said, but it didn’t help: Bolcombe and his employee were arrested, along with two other people police say were in on the scheme. The total losses, police estimate, exceeded $2 million. (AC/Melbourne Age) ...He might have known better if his bouncy castles had included dungeons.