NZ man gets nine years jail for Tasmania hostel fire

HOBART - A New Zealand-born man who started a hostel blaze that killed a Scottish backpacker in Tasmania has been sentenced to nine years' jail, with a non-parole period of six years, news agency AAP reported today.

Tony Laurence McLennan was sentenced in the Tasmanian Supreme Court today, almost two years after starting a fire at Launceston's Metro Backpackers that killed 21-year-old tourist Callum Melville.

McLennan was convicted by a jury last month of manslaughter, arson and two counts of stealing.

Justice Peter Evans today told the court McLennan, 36, was "devoid of credibility" and had lit the fire on December 31, 2004, while about 60 people were asleep in the building.

Justice Evans said McLennan was addicted to poker machines, adding he was satisfied McLennan had stolen more than A$4000 ($4840) from the hostel safe, despite his evidence to the contrary.

After consuming a "substantial" amount of alcohol over 11 hours, McLennan hatched an "inept plan that was fraught with danger to destroy the evidence of his theft," the judge said.

He said McLennan lit the fire under stairs that provided the only exit -- apart from windows and decks -- from three upstairs dormitories where about 24 guests were sleeping.

He said while the behaviour of the fire was unexpected, mitigatory matters paled into insignificance when compared to the loss of a young man's life.

"While I accept that following the fire the defendant was extremely distressed, I place little weight on this as a mitigatory indication of remorse as it seems plain from his failure to acknowledge lighting the fire that his predominant concern was for himself and not for others," he said.

Mr Melville's father Robert was not in court today after attending the trial in Launceston.

He told reporters after the verdict he was "grateful for the huge effort that has been made to find out the truth", according to AAP.

McLennan, who had previous convictions for lighting fires while living at Wainuiomata, Wellington, as a teenager, was last month found guilty of stealing, arson and manslaughter.

He was sentenced to nine years' jail, backdated to the day of the fire, with a non-parole period of six years.