Two containers of petrol he had bought from Z Energy station in Central Parade were visible in his backpack.
After Pegden entered the police carpark and found the external heat pump, Pegden doused it with petrol from one of the containers and placed the other beside it, then ignited the pump.
He then left the scene and travelled along Maunganui Rd.
The fire travelled up the heat pump wires and into the building causing moderate damage to the ceiling, walls and floor joists, the summary of facts said.
A short time later the detectives noticed smoke coming from the ceiling ducts and one officer put the heat pump fire out with an extinguisher.
The fire inside the station was doused after it ruptured a refrigeration coolant pipe.
The fire service attended but the fire was already out.
At 6.46pm that day Pegden was also seen on CCTV riding his e-scooter heading towards Mount Maunganui on Maunganui Rd.
Seeing a lamp standard at the base of Mount Drury at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Maunganui Rd he doused the base with petrol and set it alight.
Pegden was seen leaving the area and the fire service were called and put the fire out.
Both the lamp standard and the attached CCTV cameras were destroyed.
Pegden was arrested on April 20 in Marine Parade and, during a search of his address, police found a surf bag containing a Remington .270 calibre hunting rifle.
Inside his wardrobe were 305 rounds of various ammunition, including five boxes of Heavy Game 12-gauge shotgun cartridges and 80 rounds of .270 calibre ammunition.
Pegden told police he had been holding on to the firearm for a friend but could not return it due to the Covid-19 lockdown. He declined to comment about the arson.
Reparation is sought that includes $14,393.15 for the damages to the police station.
Pegden, 36, pleaded guilty to seven charges when he appeared in the Tauranga District Court on June 5 via an audiovisual link from prison.
Along with charges of arson and wilfully setting fire to property, he also admitted a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Pegden also pleaded guilty to charges of refusing a police officer's request for a blood specimen, escaping lawful custody and possession of ecstasy and ketamine.
The latter charges stem from offending in the Auckland area on March 28.
This included him jumping over a fence at the Pokeno Police Station before he was chased down by a police constable and arrested.
At Manukau Police Station, Pegden told police he had drugs in his backpack and 145 grams of ketamine and 63 ecstasy tabs were found inside.
Judge Paul Mabey convicted Pegden on all the charges and further remanded him in custody for sentencing on July 16.
