Woman on arson count discharged

Press, 12 June 1987, Page 7

Woman on arson count discharged

A jilted z lover and .a black Labrador-Alsatian cross dog called Cinders played major roles in events that led to a State house in Bateman Avenue, Bryndwr, being set on fire, the Crown alleged in the High Court yesterday. However, before the conclusion of the prosecution case, Mr Justice Williamson, after hearing submissions from counsel, Mr Erno Bedo, discharged Maria Teresa Morris, aged 41, under section 347 of the Crimes Act on a charge of wilfully setting fire to a house at 14 Bateman Avenue on September 9. While the circumstances were suspicious, that was not enough to establish guilt beyond a .reasonable doubt, there was not sufficient material to put the case to the jury so the trial would be stopped at that stage, said his Honour. Damage to the house amounted to * about $40,000. Opening the Crown case, Mr Brian McClelland, Q.C., said that the Housing Corporation house rented by John Rex Scott, unemployed, was seen to be on fire at about 11.20 p.m. Morris was Mr Scott’s

i former girl friend and i had lived with him at the s house for some years. She i then moved out, but from 3 time to time came back to i stay the night S* On .September 9 Mr: i Scott brought home a girl t called Pam. Morris telephoned him from the Forj resters Hotel about 5 pan. - and asked him to join her j there, but he refused. j Morris warned him that , if he did not come to the 1 hotel there would be ; trouble. From the sound Z of her voice she seemed i to be drunk. ? About 4.30, p.m., Mr’ I Scott and Pam went to a - friend’s place for a meal. The house was fully , secured before they left, > with Cinders on guard, i The dog would bark al 5 everyone, apart from Mr t Scott and Morris, who > came to the place. , I The fire started in the , lounge on the ground floor. Firemen discovered s that a window had been t broken and there was a smell of kerosene. i The Crown’s case was • that. Morris broke the s window to get in and i deliberately set fire to the house. The neighbours ; never heard Cinders bark. Shortly after the fire ! was put out, Morris ap-

Cinders and remarked to * SWTSart?*’ n ’‘” t started drinking at : His Lordships Hotel at 9 a.m. and had continued drinking throughout the day at various hotels. When discussing the fire with a woman, Morris was asked if she had lit the fire and she had rethere.” Interviewed by the police, Morris said that when she arrived at Bateman Avenue she . saw the dog loose and took it for a walk. She denied setting the fire and refused to make a written statement, Mr McClelland said. . When giving his decision to discharge Morris, Mr Justice Williamson said that it had to be proved that Morris Wilfully set fire to the house. . In his view, the Crown witnesses had not established that the fire had been deliberately started. The fire officer who examined the scene was not able to say how the fire originated. ‘ v There had been a kero-

■-“Is £'■; *’’ caused toe smell. The g&AM (HhSIM UK WtoWW '-/> httd , not' brotefiSte ■ ’ * -a- ■ bm. Ja ' entered 8 the”^Mert? , oa that sight as citato me nousc mu own wwkl in her pcasessfoo, but that did not go to the essence of the Sarne of arson; 9ML 7 WWlam * The discharge is lie to verdict. U