PSP: Ashland man chased husband with axe, attempted to torch house
ASHLAND – An Ashland man is in county prison facing felony arson and aggravated assault charges after an incident on New Year’s Day.
Henry Davies, 43, of 1032 Brock Street, was arrested Jan. 1, accused of chasing his husband around the house with an axe and attempting to light their home aflame.
Trooper Michael Blase filed arson, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, simple assault, and reckless endangerment charges against Davies in Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli’s Frackville courtroom.
According to the criminal complaint, Blase was dispatched to the home around 10pm Jan. 1 for a domestic disturbance.
Davies was walking on the street outside when troopers arrived.
The victim, Bobbie Charles Davies, told troopers that Henry Davies began screaming at him about a check. Henry was downstairs while Bobbie was upstairs.
Bobbie went to the top of the staircase and saw Henry downstairs with an axe. Henry said “I’m going to kill you, motherf—-r,” Bobbie told troopers, and began to chase Bobbie with the axe, swinging it several times.
Bobbie avoided being struck with the axe and locked himself in the upstairs bedroom and Henry began banging on the door yelling that he was going to kill Bobbie and that he was going to split Bobbie’s head open.
Henry then went downstairs, yelling “You will burn,” troopers said, and “Can you smell it? I am going to burn you down motherf—-r,” Bobbie told troopers.
Bobbie went halfway downstairs to see what Henry was doing and saw Henry flicking a lighter, trying to set fire to a downstairs table, which was doused in lighter fluid.
Bobbie then called 911 and Henry left the home.
Troopers said the observed an odor of gas in the residence, along with the axe, a lighter, a half-empty bottle of charcoal fluid, and an empty bottle of lighter fluid.
Henry Davies was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post $50,000 cash bail.
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