Supreme Court YOUNG MAN FACES CHARGE OF ARSON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 11

Supreme Court YOUNG MAN FACES CHARGE OF ARSON

When questioned about the suspected wilful setting on fire of a house at 93 Ferry road on the evening of September 9, William John James Millar, aged 21, a driver, ednteted he had Mt a fire because he was upset over his broken engagement, said Detective A. G. Rodgers in the Supreme Court yesterday. Detective Rodgers was giving evidence on a charge of arson against the accused. After Crown evidence had been heard Mr Justice Richmond adjourned the case to today. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, is represented by Mr M. G. L. Loughnan. Mr P. T. Mahon, appears for the Crown.

Outlining the Crown's case, Mr Mahon said the fire brigade received a call to the house, owned by Arthur George Whitfield, about M 0 pm. The fire was ig an advanced stage, and caused considerable damage before it could be put "mt. The. house had been untenanted for a short time before the fire.

Whitfield, in evidence, said the house had been insured for C2OOO. It had come into his possession from an estate. Douglas Barrett Smith, an insurance assessor, said he examined the premises on September 13 and found the single storey area at the back of the house to be completely gutted. The fire appeared to have burnt through the roof and penetrated into the first fioor area towards the front of the house. He estimated the damage to the house at £l5OO to £l7OO. Cross-examined by Mr Loughnan, Smith said he considered the fire had started in the kitchen, possibly near a coal range. Gordon Joseph Thompson, fourth officer of the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Brigade, said he was in charge of units which were called to the fire at 7.18 pm. The brigade arrived about two minutes later and he found the fire well established in the two rear rooms, and spreading into the upstairs portion. The house was not occupied at the time, and the only furniture was a piano in a front room and mattresses and bedding in an upstairs room immediately above the scene of the fire. The witness said the power supply to the house had been cut off some time before the fire. He considered the fire originated between the chimney breast and the south wall of the kitchen.

Cross-examined, he said he could not say how long the fire might have been burning before the alarm was given. Detective Rodgers said he interviewed the accused about the fire and he admitted going to the bouse and setting it alight In a statement made to Detective Rodgers ths accused said his girt friend had .tastes# off their engagement and be was really annoyed. He was boarding at 71 Terry rood, and knew the house at No. M was empty. Ho entered the house and tore wallpaper from a wall and set alight to it in the kitchen with his cigarette lighter. “I don’t remember a thing about the fire. I just ran

away. I watched the fire brigade for a while,” the accused’s statement said. Detective Rodgers was questioned by Mr Loughnan about tihe accused’s emotional state when he made the statement He said that when first interviewed the accused was quite talkative. He denied all knowledge of the fire at first. When the accused mentioned about his broken engagement he broke down and started crying, and immediately afterwards he admitted he had been to the house, Detective Rodgers said.