A 57-year-old male who tried to set fire to the St John Ambulance office in Hastings has been sent to prison.
Glennard Hirini Gotty, appeared in Hastings District Court yesterday for sentence after earlier admitting stacking two bags of pine cones and setting them alight at the ambulance site on Southland Rd.
About 1.30am on October 3, Gotty approached the service window of Shell petrol station on Heretaunga St and was refused his request for free food.
While the attendant was distracted he stole a bag of pine cones and walked next door to St John, put the bag against the building and set it alight.
Unhappy with the small blaze he returned to the petrol station and stole a second bag of pine cones which he stacked on the first burning bag.