Arson guts horror house

The Press

It was up to the neighbour and the bank holding the mortgage on Christchurch's "House of Horrors" to protect it from arson, say police.

A blaze which gutted the semi-detached house in the suburb of Wainoni late on Saturday was being treated as suspicious.

This month the bodies of Tisha Lowry, 28, and Rebecca Sarah Somerville, 35, were found buried beneath the property.

Mrs Somerville's husband, Jason Somerville, 33, who lived with his wife there, has been charged with murdering both women.

The threat to burn the house down surfaced shortly after the bodies were discovered.

Police said they were concerned that some commentators appeared to be "deliberately misrepresenting the actions taken by police to secure the property at Wainoni Road".

Northern area commander, Inspector Dave Lawry, said police were unable to keep a guard on the property indefinitely.

They told the owners, including the Australia-based company that secured the mortgage, there was a threat of arson.

Following the warning police kept scene guards for two extra days, until last Wednesday, to allow for those with a direct interest in the asset to protect it, Mr Lawry said.

"No such action was taken by those parties."

Neighbour Jason Hall, who owns the adjoining property, earlier said he was angry the house was not destroyed under controlled conditions.

Authorities should have acted sooner to prevent the fire, he said.

"It should have been knocked down a week ago. With a fire of that size, anything could happen. It could well have hurt other people."

However, Mr Lawry said: "The neighbour, Mr Hall, has also elected to take no action to protect his property."

The New Brighton Fire Service was advised of the possible threat of arson. Community Watch and Police patrols were keeping the house under surveillance during regular patrols, Mr Lawry said.

Mr Lawry said the Somerville family had already removed possessions.

Police had already gathered all the evidence from the property and did not lose any in the fire.

Police had also arranged for a kaumatua to bless the property and lift any tapu on Monday before they left the scene.

"Commentators indicating that the property should be removed are in fact misguided both in cultural terms and in law. This vigilante action is straight out arson."

TURNING POINT

A "memorial to murder most foul has been erased", Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says.

Parker hopes that Saturday night's blaze at the burial site for two women is "a turning point" for the Aranui community.

"I think, if we're honest, right across the community there was a sense it would happen," Parker told The Press yesterday.

"One positive thing is that that memorial to murder most foul has been erased.

"I hope this is, perhaps, a turning point.

"We've got to find something positive in all this."

Parker, who was relieved no-one was injured in the blaze, said he did not condone the arson.

He was working with the Aranui Community Trust to decide what to do with the property.

Efforts to buy the site would continue but there was a "complex situation in terms of ownership", Parker said.

Detective Sergeant Craig Farrant said the house had "been extensively damaged throughout".

"Obviously, it's of a suspicious nature it's arson, let's not beat around the bush."

Farrant said an intense fire in a wooden structure had the potential to "jump through" to other properties.

"We can't have people lighting fires. This vigilante, Robin Hood-type thing can't be condoned."

Homicide investigators had finished with the scene.

Neighbours were angry that the house had not been destroyed by authorities.

Many had feared there would be a blaze that could have "hurt other people".

The house was joined to another on the Hampshire St side, and a family lived in a home just metres from the blaze on the Wainoni Rd side.

Neighbour Jason Hall, who owns the adjoining property, had wanted the house destroyed under controlled conditions.

Authorities should have acted sooner to prevent the fire, he said.

"Everyone knew it was coming," Hall said.

"It should have been knocked down a week ago. With a fire of that size, anything could happen. It could well have hurt other people."

Hall said the house should have been bulldozed.

Christchurch City councillor Chrissie Williams said the council had no jurisdiction to bulldoze the house as it still belonged to the murder-accused.

If Hall wanted his own house bulldozed, "that would have been his decision", she said.

While it was not known who lit the fire, many in the community had predicted a blaze at the site.

Neighbour Rhonda Thompson said she was taking photographs of the property last week when she saw Jason Somerville's family removing belongings from the house "because they had heard too".

Hall and his family had moved out, and he had removed his dogs from the property on Thursday, suspecting something would happen, he said.

Hall said he did not know who had lit the fire.

Hemi Crawford, who lives across the street, said he was alerted to the fire when he heard glass popping out of the windows.

Fire crews were called to the home at 9.42pm on Saturday after neighbours saw smoke billowing out of the windows.

The two-storey wooden building was well alight by the time the Fire Service crew from the New Brighton station arrived.

The house was a blackened shell yesterday, but Hall's adjoining property had little damage.

Crawford said he was "happy to see [the house] go".

He hoped the council would turn the site into a memorial park for the two women.

By IAN STEWARD and NZPA