This week at the Dunedin District Court, 32–year-old Andrew Downs was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to a charge of arson.
The defendant approached the Dunedin Central police station in the early hours of November 11, doused the glass front doors with 2 litres of petrol and started the blaze before retreating to a nearby bus stop.
It burned out after a minute — after causing nearly $1000 of damage — and Downs promptly handed himself in.
The court heard the defendant had a history of arson attacks targeting law enforcement.
In November 2019, Downs poured petrol on to a police patrol car parked by the Pāpāmoa police station and set it on fire
then proceeded to ignite nearby bushland.
Police noted the secondary attack posed ‘‘a serious risk to the entire community’’.
The offence resulted in over $40,000 worth of damage and Downs was jailed for two and a-half years.
In an incident in October 2022, he set fire to another police vehicle and was locked up again.
In each case, Downs explained he was motivated by a desire to return to jail.
This week, Judge David Robinson noted the perpetrator’s primary objective in the most recent case was again to seek a ‘‘stable living condition for himself’’.
The court heard Downs suffered from several mental health conditions including social communication, personality and schizophrenia disorder — the defendant repeatedly expressing his mental health significantly improved while behind bars.
Counsel Brendan Stephenson said his client’s intentions were never to harm anyone.
Downs, he said, purposefully targeted areas of the station he thought would pose ‘‘little risk’’ to those around.
But the judge said the defendant had no control over the extent of the damage once the fire was lit.
He stressed the impact the arson would have had on those inside the building.
‘‘There are real victims to this offending. It’s not just a faceless building with people who wear a blue uniform. There are individuals who are affected by what you did,’’ Judge Robinson said.
He said it was clear Downs’ attack was premeditated after he told Probation that he had considered smashing a window of the station with a brick but that ‘‘just wasn’t enough’’.
It was Downs’ fifth conviction for arson, he noted.
‘‘You sought to attack an institution that is intended to ensure our safety and the court has to respond firmly to that,’’ the judge said.
He granted Downs the potential to have the sentence converted to home detention if a suitable address arose.
‘‘You’ve effectively got your wish in that you’re going back to prison. However, there are a number of needs that you have which have not necessarily been met, leaving you stuck in something of a cycle.’’
