Man for trial on hotel arson count

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 4

Man for trial on hotel arson count

Trial by jury in the High Court will be faced by a man, aged 53, on a charge of wilfully setting fire to the Stonehurst Hotel, Gloucester Street, knowing that danger to life was likely to ensue, on April 11. Interim suppression of the name of the defendant was sought by defence counsel (Miss E. H. B. Thompson) and granted.

Mr J. H. Christensen and Mrs A. Hill, Justices of the Peace, committed the man for trial after hearing statements of evidence of six prosecution witnesses.

They remanded the defendant on bail pending a date for trial in the High Court. Miss Thompson reserved her defence.

Sergeant M. J. South prosecuted.

Prosecution evidence was that the owner of the hotel, Russell Harcourt Glynn, and a builder working on renovations investigated the smell of smoke on the morning of April 11.

The source of the smell was found to be in a room hired to the defendant.

A heater was found tipped with its element facing upwards, and on this was a melted telephone, a charred piece of wood, an electric jug and an ashtray.

There were burns on the carpet consistent with the heater having been placed face down on it The ceiling and walls were covered with sooty smoke.

Two fire extinguishers, which had been in the hallway, had been placed outside on a fire escape

one having been emptied of water and the other with its nozzle jammed.

The toilet cistern had been damaged, and made inoperative and water from the cistern had soaked the carpet

The room had to be redecorated, various items of equipment had to be replaced, and new carpet laid.

When interviewed by a constable, the defendant spoke of his pyschiatric

problems, and denied allegations put to him of having upturned and switched on the heater and having placed the telephone, piece of wood and other items on it

He denied also blocking the cistern and flooding the bathroom area, and throwing a television aerial and cistern part outside.