‘sBoo,ooo fire after depot break-in’

Press, 14 April 1984, Page 4

‘sBoo,ooo fire after depot break-in’

Nelson reporter A bus depot, its contents and buses which together had a replacement value of more than $BOO,OOO, were destroyed last December after two youths had attempted to cut open a safe with a gas torch, it was alleged in the Children and Young Persons Court in Nelson yesterday. Two boys, aged 16, pleaded guilty to charges that they broke and entered the premises of the Nelson Suburban Bus Company’s Richmond depot on December 20. They denied charges of wilfully setting fire to the building, and after sworn statements were taken in a depositions hearing, the two forwent their right of trial by jury on this indictable charge and opted for trial in the Children and Young Persons Court. Messrs R. W. Paine and D. H. Blyth, Justices of the Peace, remanded the pair to April 16. They were each allowed bail of $5OO with a surety of $5OO, were ordered to reside with their parents in the interim, were not permitted to associate with each other and were not permitted to be away from home later than 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays unless with a parent. Sergeant D. Allen appeared for the police, and Messrs A. D. Webber and A. D. Barnett for the two boys. The police produced sworn statements of evidence from 11 witnesses. The managing director, Gerard Willis Cummings, said that three buses inside the depot and another three beneath the depot veranda were destroyed and another three seriously damaged. The damage to property and

buses was~s29B,ooo; the company had an insurance cover of $247,000. The depot had to be demolished and the buses replaced. The replacement value of the property and buses, not including employees’ tools and a 20 per cent increase in insurance and ancillary charges, was more than $BOO,OOO. Detective N. G. Charlton said that on examining the area most badly burned he had discovered a gas bottle, a handpiece and a regulator. It was his opinion that hot slag had set fire to paper near the safe and that the offenders left the building with the paper burning or smouldering, he said. Detective-Sergeant G. T. Dawson gave evidence of speaking to one of the boys the next day. He admitted being in the building with another youth. After being warned, the defendant had said the two boys had been at a Richmond hotel until closing time. They were short of money so decided to break into the depot. One of them entered through window louvres and opened a door for the other. Both had found gas bottles and began work on the safe. They took what money there was and left the building, stopping to count the money further down the road. He thought each got about $lOO. The defendant had told him there was no sign of fire when they left the building. Detective G. F. Stebbings gave evidence of an interview with the second youth at his work. He was very agitated and was shaking. Later at the police station he admitted having been inside the depot on the night of the fire. He said he did not intend the fire to happen. He had got $165.54 of the stolen money. In a statement given to Detective Stebbings, the youth said he was short of money and needed some to buy beer for a party that night. He described how the building was broken into and the attempt on gas cutting the safe. At one stage wood by the safe caught fire and he had trouble getting a fire extinguisher to work. When it did work it lasted only about five seconds, but it was enough to extinguish the fire. He described paper catching fire as he attempted to cut the safe but he stamped this out. He said he made sure everything was out and nothing was smouldering before they left. Mr Barnett, for his client, submitted there was insufficient evidence of “wilfulness” on the part of both boys in relation to the arson charges, and this was an essential ingredient to the police case. Mr Webber made similar submissions. They sought dismissal of the charge.

The Justices of the Peace decided there was sufficient evidence to commit both for trial on the arson charge.