Five years' jail for three arsons in Otaki

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A serial arsonist has been jailed for lighting fires in Otaki, less than three years after he was convicted of repeatedly setting alight a Wellington primary school.

Cameron Robert Gallagher, 21, was sentenced in Wellington District Court yesterday to five years' jail for the three arsons.

The fires in Marine Pde in February caused $370,000 damage to two houses, and minor smoke damage to a garage on a third property where Gallagher was living.

In 2007 he was sentenced to home detention for setting fire to buildings at Miramar South School four times and setting fire to four cars and a hedge in the suburb.

Gallagher mouthed an obscenity as he was led from the dock, then waved to his mother, father, partner and baby son, at the back of the courtroom.

Outside court, his mother told The Dominion Post: "We continue to support him." Asked whether she hoped he would get the help he needed, she said: "That's the primary thing we're hoping for."

Detective Sergeant Sarn Paroli, of Levin, said that, at the time of the arsons, the Otaki community was "quite troubled" and would be happy with the result.

On February 4, Gallagher rang police after he set fire to rubbish piled in the garage at the property he was renting from Gavin Case in Marine Pde. Judge Denys Barry said Gallagher was "heavily drunk" and abused firefighters.

Two weeks later he set fire to Mr Case's vacant beach house next door. The building was gutted. Nine days later Gallagher set fire to another house on Marine Pde and phoned the fire service from his cellphone.

Judge Barry said yesterday: "This offending had the potential to cause danger to the public, particularly to firefighters who have to attend the scene of significant blazes."

Otaki Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Brent Bythell said flames were "leaping out of the windows" when firefighters reached Mr Case's property. "We're definitely pleased he's out of circulation."

Of Gallagher's 18 convictions, half were for arson. His lawyer, Greg King, argued the medication he was on to treat hepatitis C, which he contracted at birth, did not excuse the crimes but had impaired his client's thinking during his life. He was a strong candidate for rehabilitation and had the support of his family. "He's still a very young man."

Miramar South School principal Jeanette De La Mare said Gallagher had caused more than $70,000 of damage to the school. "It was a very worrying time ... The kids were mortified that their stuff had gone."

Mr Case described Gallagher as a menace but hoped that, while in jail, he would get the treatment he needed.

- © Fairfax NZ News