Son torches kids presents, parents’ home
A MAN who burnt his parents’ house down, after discovering his former partner was storing Christmas presents for her children there, has been jailed.
James Allan Bennett Watts, 43, had been living at his parents’ Montrose home in December 2020 when he assaulted his father and torched the house using mower fuel.
In his published comments on passing sentence, Supreme Court of Tasmania Chief Justice Alan Blow said the house was damaged so badly that a decision was made to demolish it.
Chief Justice Blow said there was “no suggestion that Watts’ parents had insurance cover”, with household policies often not covering fires deliberately lit by household members.
On December 15 that year, his former partner made contact with his father, with the intention of collecting the presents.
She arrived with two friends, one of whom Watts “jumped to the conclusion” as being her partner – verbally abusing all three.
After the trio left, a drunk Watts entered the kitchen, abusing his father, throwing something at him, then punching him to the face – causing the older man to fall and hit a window sill.
“Mr Watts was told by his mother to get out of the house. He left, stating, ‘I’m going to f--king burn the house down’. He did just that,” Chief Justice Blow said.
“He went to his bedroom, drunk, irrational and very angry. He used mower fuel from the garage to set fire to some belongings. At some stage he changed his mind and tried to put the fire out, but it was too late and he fled.”
When emergency services arrived, the house was fully engulfed by smoke and flames.
Watts turned himself in to the Glenorchy Police Station about two hours later.
“Mr Watts’ parents lost their home and apparently all its contents,” Chief Justice Blow said.
“His parents had done the right thing by taking him in when he had nowhere else to live, but he treated them and their property with the opposite of the respect that they deserved.”
Watts, who pleaded guilty to arson and assault, was jailed for four years, with a non-parole period of two years. He was also ordered to repay his parents.