Prison for ‘reckless’ fire
Locker set alight led to $6.6m in damage
A JUDGE has described a man, who was jailed for a fire that caused $6.65 million in damage to his old school, as “calculated” and “reckless”.
“It involved more than just some foolish schoolboy prank gone wrong,” Judge Catherine Muir told the man yesterday. “Your conduct was serious, reckless, thoughtless and immature.”
Judge Muir made the comments when sentencing Paul Hamstra, 21, in the Southport District Court for the Anzac Day 2016 blaze at St Andrew’s Lutheran College. It destroyed the school’s drama and hospitality block.
Hamstra pleaded guilty to endangering property by fire and wilful damage.
Judge Muir sentenced him to three years’ prison, to be suspended after serving six months. “It had a devastating impact, including rumours and innuendo after the fire,” she said.
St Andrew’s Lutheran College principal David Bliss said the sentence would provide “some comfort” to the school community. “We have a number of teachers who lost 30 to 40 years of resources and their level of distress continues,” he said.
Hamstra was 18 when he and three friends went on a “school run” to ring the bell at their former school at Tallebudgera. They broke into J block and Hamstra, who took a lighter and accelerant, began melting lockers shut and set fire to papers in one of the lockers before closing it.
Judge Muir accepted Hamstra thought the fire had gone out but they did not stop when they heard the fire alarm as they left.
Fire crews took about 15 hours to put the fire out.
Hamstra’s co-accused have previously been sentenced but not required to spend time in custody.
Judge Muir said the group made a pact not to tell anyone they were responsible. It was not until a year later when another person was told that police were alerted.