A bridegroom who set fire to the historic English castle where his wedding reception was being held was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison.

Max Henry Kay, 37, of Liverpool, pleaded guilty to arson in Chester Crown Court. He showed little emotion when the sentence was handed down, the Chester Chronicle reported.

His wife, who recently gave birth to twins, was not at the hearing.

Investigators said Kay, who had been drinking heavily, set fire to drapes at Peckforton Castle with a cigarette lighter after an argument with the financial manager, in which he allegedly threatened her and her family. He had been having problems paying the bill for the reception.

The fire did 5.5 million pounds ($8.7 million) in damage to the 17th-century country house. More than 100 staffers and guests, including a man in a wheelchair and several children, were evacuated.

"It was a miracle that nobody was either seriously hurt or killed by your actions," Judge Roger Dutton said. (UPI)