A North Canterbury arsonist has escaped a fine for setting a pile of 400 thousand tyres alight in 2018
A North Canterbury arsonist has escaped a fine for setting a pile of 400 thousand tyres alight in 2018
27 May 2020
Garry Grimmer has pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to a charge of arson for the Amberly blaze that took two days to subdue.
The 62-year-old says his frustration boiled over after two years of watching the tyre pile grow.
Grimmer says he thought the old tyres could be contaminating the town's water - and snapped when the authorities continued to do nothing.
He's avoided having to pay costs - but Judge Jane Farish has sentenced him to nine months' detention.
She didn't believe Grimmer's actions were premeditated.
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