Govt House fire doused with water bottle

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Burning Molotov cocktails propped against a wall at Government House were extinguished with a security guard's bottle of drinking water, court documents show.

Witness statements filed against Anthony Robert Young, 39, say four Duvel beer bottles with fabric wicks were found against the wall of a prefab building adjoining Government House in Newtown, Wellington, on May 7.

Security guard Gary Weller said he smelled something like burning wire just before 10pm but could not find anything wrong.

He continued patrolling and, at the eastern side of the house, he found the four 750ml beer bottles placed against the wall near a guttering downpipe, with wicks or rags in the bottle necks.

Mr Weller said two were still alight with flames of about 2.5 centimetres high. "Once I had made a phone call requesting assistance, I took out my drink bottle from my pocket and put out the two flames that were still alight nearest myself.

"By this time the downpipe had melted and I believe this caused the flames in the other two bottles below to be extinguished," Mr Weller said.

Young, a cleaner, has been committed for trial on a single charge of intentionally damaging Government House by fire. It has not yet been decided if he will be tried in the High Court or the District Court.

Police say Young's bankcard was used to buy a container and petrol at a nearby service station on May 7.

Constable Lee Underhill said she knew from media coverage that Government House was being extensively renovated and that the governor-general was not in residence.

The scene of the alleged arson was beside a small prefabricated building that was joined to the main building by its roof. She recognised the bottles stuffed with fabric wicks as Molotov cocktails.

As well as the building's downpipe melting, timber nearby was charred, Ms Underhill said.

Detective Constable Samuel Hedley said he searched Young's room at an Adelaide Rd, Newtown, lodge on May 13.

Young told him he had bought the container and petrol for a man he had met that night. "I don't know what he was going to do with it. He just said he needed petrol. I had some money so I got it," he quoted Young as saying.

- © Fairfax NZ News