Woman set fire to boy-friend’s house

Press, 14 August 1980, Page 8

Woman set fire to boy-friend’s house

A young woman who after an altercation with her boyfriend wilfully set fire to his house, doing damage estimated at $3OOO, was convicted and remanded to August 27 for a probation report and sentence when 'she appeared before Judge Fraser in the District Court yesterday. Nicola Jane Browne, aged 18, an escort, admitted setting fire to a house in Whittington Street on August 5. Sergeant M. P. Caldwell said at 11 p.m. that day firesafety officers had requested the assistance of the police with regard to a suspicious fire at a house in Whittington Street. He said the fire had been started in a chair in the lounge and had extended to a wall before being extinguished. Sergeant Caldwell said structural damage was estimated at $3OOO and com-

pensation for this amount was sought. He said the defendant had been visiting her boy-friend, but after an altercation he had left. After, an unsuccessful search for petrol, Browne (Mr R. H. Stringer) had set fire to the pages of a magazine and had put this among some freshly-laundered clothes in a chair.

A similar attempt in the bedroom had failed, he said. After lighting the fires Browne had left the house taking her pet cat with her. Browne had told the police she had become angry and depressed over the relationship with her boy-friend. CHARGES DENIED Six charges of doing an indecent act and two charges of wilfully and obscenely exposing himself were denied by a man, aged 38. The defendant (Mr D. J. Jones) was remanded to Sep-

tember 16 for a defended hearing. It is alleged that the offences were committed between November last year, and June this year. The defendant was granted interim suppression 'of his name. STOLE TV SET Two men, who admitted stealing a colour television set from a x Hanmer Springs mdtel, were convicted and remanded on bail to August 27 for probation reports and sentence.

They are John Anthony Skinner, aged 23, a printer, and Garth William Pidgeon, also 23, a timber grader. They were represented by Mr D. J. R. Holderness. Sergeant Caldwell said that on July 18 the two men had driven to Hanmer Springs. At the motel they had removed the television set and had placed it in the boot of their car.

On their journey back to Christchurch the car was involved in an accident and the set was taken out of the boot and hidden in long grass from where it was later recovered by the police, said Sergeant Caldwell.

In explanation both men admitted having been drinking earlier and that the taking of the set had been done on. the spur of the moment. Compensation of $350, in respect of damage to the set, was sought. THEFT DENIED An unemployed man charged with stealing a fur jacket, valued at $357, was remanded on bail to September 5 for a defended hearing. Brent Young, aged 24, is alleged to have stolen' the jacket, the property of Universal Fur Company, Ltd, on November 19 last year.