Bookstore firebug avoids prison

File photo / NZ Herald

A man who burned down a Greytown bookstore last year escaped jail when he was sentenced in the Masterton District Court yesterday.

Roger Harrison, 51, now of Masterton, was sentenced to six months community detention, with a curfew from 7pm to 7am, and 175 hours community work. He had pleaded guilty to the arson.

In sentencing, Judge Stephen Harrop said he took into account Harrison's mental health at the time of the offence, his treatment needs and an inability to pay total reparation of close to $40,000.

The shop, attached to the former Greytown County Council building, had belonged to the South Wairarapa District Council. It was valued at around $19,000 and was insured, while the contents were about $15,000 of second-hand books and musical instruments, belonging to shopkeeper and businessman Nigel Thorp. An $8000 car belonging to neighbours was also destroyed.

The court heard that on June 10, 2010, Harrison had been drinking at home. About midnight he had walked into Greytown and entered the secondhand bookshop.

He had dropped lit cigarettes into a cardboard box filled with newspaper and plastic. He had told police a demon voice told him to do that.

Mr Thorp, in his victim impact statement, had said the fire had "completely destroyed" his livelihood. The judge said Mr Thorp had been concerned at Harrison's behaviour and that, "he feels in a way he's been penalised for coping with you rather than trespassing you as many other shop owners in town did".

Two weeks earlier Harrison had had an argument with Mr Thorp and the judge said: "Before you left you threatened to burn the shop and his mother's house down. [That showed] a degree of premeditation, that you made a threat and carried it out."

He said he needed to take into account "a degree of diminished responsibility" because of Harrison's mental illness, but not because of his drinking. But the judge said he didn't think the offence would have happened without both factors being present.

Harrison "owed a great deal to the people at Aspire [mental health organisation] who rescued you" after the offending.

Judge Harrop said imprisoning Harrison "would not protect the community" except temporarily. "It would likely set you back and you would present a greater risk to the public when released."

The judge also imposed 18 months supervision, including any mental health treatment deemed necessary.