Last arson teen gets $10,000 bill

A judge has ordered the last of three teens involved in the All Saints Church hall arson to pay reparation of $10,000 – a fraction of the $1.35 million damage.

Lachlan William Holdem, 19, was also sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday to 10 months' home detention for being a party to the early-morning arson on October 17, 2007.

He is to serve a concurrent sentence of five months' home detention for burglary, which came from stealing clothing, bedding and food from the church building several hours before the fire.

Holdem, who was 17 at the time, talked to a flatmate about stealing a microwave for their Linton St house shortly before midnight, the court heard.

After the burglary was planned two more teens became involved – one stood lookout as the other three climbed over back fence of the Church St property.

During the next four hours the four men ferried items to their flat, Judge Les Atkins said.

About 4.30am the teens became worried about forensic evidence linking them to the burglary.

A bottle of methylated spirits was poured over furniture and set alight. While Holdem did not light the fire, he failed to stop his friends sparking the match, Judge Atkins said.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours but the heritage two-storey timber building, part of which dated to 1875, could not be saved.

About two months later two teens were arrested for the arson and were treated as youths. They were only a month or two under the adult threshold.

They were ordered to pay $600 reparation and sentenced to 200 hours' community work each, the court heard.

The fourth teen was only charged with burglary.

Holdem pleaded guilty to his part in the arson on the morning he was to go to trial in December. He also pleaded guilty to the earlier burglary.

Defence lawyer Paul Surridge suggested reparation be capped at $5000, but Crown prosecutor Shannon Johnston said it should be in the region of "tens of thousands". Ms Johnston also asked for the maximum home detention length of 12 months.

Sentencing was deferred earlier this year as dogs were at the home detention address, which makes it unsuitable as community corrections staff have to visit. Judge Atkins imposed conditions not to have dogs at the address and for Holdem not to consume alcohol or non-prescribed drugs.

Holdem had kept on the right side of the law for the past two years, which meant his sentence did not need to include rehabilitative aspects, Judge Atkins said.

- © Fairfax NZ News