A man accused of setting fire to bushland had a strained relationship with the owner of the land where the fires started, a Supreme Court jury in Launceston heard.
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Zachary John Mead gave evidence that he had a vendor finance agreement with Robert Peter Matthewson, 36, between 2017 and 2020 for the sale of a 24-hectare bush block near Mangana.
Mr Matthewson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation on December 8, December 18 and December 30, 2019.
In a response to an opening address by Crown prosecutor John Ransom, defence counsel Fran McCracken said there was no issue that the relationship had soured and was poor at the time of the fires.
"The main issues are whether the fires were deliberately lit and who was responsible," she said.
Mr Ransom told the jury that the December 30 fire occurred on a day of total fire ban when winds were predicted to be 50km/h and the temperature to be 39 degrees. The fire was not controlled until January 18 last year.
He told the jury that evidence would be led that Mr Matthewson did not drive and was reliant on people living on the property for transport.
He said that on the day of the fires two witnesses would give evidence that Mr Matthewson was the only person on the property.
A witness would give evidence that when he spoke to Mr Mathewson on December 20 he sounded panicked and was highly intoxicated.
Mr Mead said he had decided to give Mr Matthewson a chance because he looked like "a real struggler".
But things deteriorated because Mr Matthewson completely trashed the property, he said.
"He did an enormous amount of clearing and there was garbage and burnt out cars all over the place, it was like a tip," he said.
Asked by Mr Ransom if he had given police copies of series of text messages between the two, Mr Mead said: "Yes including the threat yes".
He said Mr Mathewson texted that he couldn't guarantee Mr Mead's safety if he visited the block.
Under cross examination by Ms McCracken, Mr Mead said Mr Matthewson was very enthusiastic about setting up an off-grid community at the block.
He said Mr Matthewson had paid him $21,000 by the time the agreement finished.
"When did the relationship sour?" she asked.
"After I heard he bashed somebody on the property," Mr Mead said. "I said when," Ms McCracken said.
Ms McCracken asked if he was looking for a reason to get Mr Matthewson off the property at about the time of the fires.
"You got what you wanted?" she asked. "Did arrange for anybody else to set fire to the property?
"Absolutely not, that is an outrageous suggestion I love that property," Mr Mead said.
The jury heard that there were a number of fires in November 2019 that seemed to occur for unknown reasons.
Mr Ransom said that Mr Mead's property had been renamed Bluestonia and had become home to nearly 30 people who were living in tents. However, by the time of the fires Mr Mathewson and the two witnesses were the only people living on the property.
Mr Ransom said the trial would include a number of police officers including Constable Brian Hamilton who arrested Mr Matthewson at the Hobart Airport in February this year.
He said the Crown contention was that Mr Matthewson was in potential breach of bail conditions and his attempted flight was due to a consciousness of guilt.
Expert witness Anthony Goss said all three fires were deliberately lit and started on the property Mr Mathewson occupied.
The trial continues on Thursday after the jury visits the site of the fires on Wednesday.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
