A man set fire to two cars in "an act of madness" because he believed he had been lied to, a court has heard.
James Andrew Lee Hamilton, 40, appeared in the Invercargill District Court this week after pleading guilty to two charges of arson.
Judge Duncan Harvey sentenced the defendant to seven months’ home detention.
On April 14, the man drove to the victims’ address and parked in the driveway.
He poured a container of petrol under the car and set it on fire.
The occupants of the house called the police, who located Hamilton while he was driving home.
He admitted the offending immediately and said there had been a personal dispute and he felt he had been lied to.
Crown prosecutor Mike Brownlie said "it’s clear this is out of character".
Counsel Jono Ross called the offending "fairly appalling" and said it was
"an act of stupidity ... an act of madness".
He argued his client was remorseful and had offered to pay reparation.
Judge Harvey ordered Hamilton to pay $14,516 reparation.
