School fire lit after break-in

Press, 23 February 1989, Page 18

School fire lit after break-in

Fire damage, and replacement cost of science equipment, amounted to $220,000 after two youths broke into and lit a fire in the science block of Aranui High School last October 1, said Sergeant B. M. Roswell in the Children and Young Persons Court yesterday.

The fire caused the irreplaceable loss of teachers’ lecture notes, and loss of teaching aids, he said.

After a preliminary hearing yesterday, a youth, aged 16, pleaded guilty to charges of breaking and entering the science block at the high school, and wilfully setting fire to the science room.

Messrs J. B. Andersen and A. L. Mclvor, Justices of the Peace, remanded him on bail to March 9 for a probation report and sentence.

The youth was represented by Mr A. N. D. Garrett.

A youth, aged 15, was called yesterday as a principal witness. The witness had pleaded guilty in December to a joint charge with yesterday’s defendant of breaking into the science block. He had been sentenced to three months periodic

detention and placed under supervision for a year.

During his evidence yesterday, the witness told of entering the building through a window and unlatching a door to let the defendant in. The witness said he entered the building because he supposed he liked getting into buildings.

He did not take anything, but the defendant took a microscope, and some beakers. The witness said he lit a candle found in a room and as he was preparing to leave he saw the defendant holding the candle, and set some papers alight. The witness put the fire and candle out, with water from a sink.

After they left, the witness went on about what would have happened if he had not noticed the fire.

The defendant then said he had forgotten about the fire in the cupboard. The witness did not believe him. The defendant left to take the microscope home while the witness stayed nearby to meet some other young people.

He later saw the fire at

the school and entered the building with another person, turned on an alarm, unwound fire hoses and turned these on.

A woman, aged 18, said she knew the defendant, who mentioned to her about the fire. He said he had lit the fire, but this was accidental.

Police evidence was given that a microscope was found in the defendant’s possession.

He said he had found it in a bag in rubbish near a supermarket. He at first denied breaking into the science block and lighting a fire, but later admitted to a detective that he had entered the building with another person and lit a fire in a cupboard. He grabbed a microscope and left as the room was filling with smoke.

Asked why he had set light to the papers, the defendant said it was for something to do.

Asked whether it had crossed his mind that the place might go up, the defendant had replied, "Yeah.” Detective: Didn’t that worry you? Defendant: No.