Woman set unit bed on fire

A woman smuggled a lighter into a secure mental health unit twice and set her bed alight, causing a small fire which also left her with minor injuries.

The woman, who cannot be named, was a patient in the secure ward at Taranaki’s Te Puna Waiora mental health unit last month.

The summary of facts said at 11.20pm on February 4, she used a lighter she had concealed from staff to set fire to bedding in her room.

‘‘The fire alarm was activated and the defendant was found lying on her bed with her bedding and nightgown in flames.’’

Staff were able to put the fire out, but the entire ward had to be evacuated until firefighters checked the facility.

The woman was taken to the emergency department where she received treatment for minor burns to her stomach and hands.

‘‘The mattress and bedding had to be destroyed and there was a minor scorch mark on the carpet from where the staff had thrown the bedding in order to stomp out the flames,’’ the summary of facts said. Ten days later, firefighters were called to the New Plymouthbased facility again.

On February 14, the fire alarm activated at 9.20pm, after the woman set fire to her bedding.

She was found by staff sitting down as she watched the mattress and blankets burn at the foot of the bed.

The small blaze was quickly extinguished and the defendant was moved out of the smoke-filled room. Following this incident, she suffered a small burn to her thumb.

The bedding and mattress damaged in the fire had to be thrown away.

The woman pleaded guilty to two charges of wilfully setting fire to property, offending which carries a maximum jail term of 14 years.

Following a hearing in the New Plymouth District Court on Thursday, the case was remanded to a sentencing date on May 28.

The woman was granted interim name suppression until then.