A man charged with setting fire to vegetation told a fire investigator that he had drunk four litres of wine on the day of a fire near Mangana, a Supreme Court jury heard.
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Robert Peter Matthewson, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation on December 8, December 18 and December 30, 2019 at Mangana.
Under cross examination by defence counsel Fran McCracken fire investigator Anthony Goss said he had sat down with Mr Matthewson to talk about the fire.
"We started to have a conversation on two old lounge chairs and we had a general discussion about the location of the fires, general chit chat to build rapport," he said.
Mr Goss said he was "reasonably astounded" because four litres was a considerable amount to drink.
"We had a discussion about the ability to do that," he said.
Later in the cross examination Ms McCracken asked when he first heard that Mr Matthewson was a suspect.
"I sat with him and spoke on the porch about the fires, he broke down at that point," Mr Goss said.
Mr Goss said that police had asked his opinion and thoughts on December 19.
He was asked whether the information had informed his assumptions about the December 30 fire.
Mr Goss said it was the job of Tasmania Police to identify the intent of any person.
"I investigate the cause and origin of fires," he said.
During cross examination Mr Goss said that a person would have to be very lucky to have avoided burning down the dwellings on the property.
Acting Justice Brian Martin warned the jury that it should disregard any opinion given by Mr Goss on the intent of any person lighting the fires. He said Mr Goss's opinion, as an expert, about fire ignition was what the jury could consider.
"You are entitled to look at each fire and you may draw your own conclusion," he said.
Mr Goss said that he had investigated quite a few fires around Mathinna in 2019-20.
"Were any deliberately lit?" Ms McCracken asked.
"Yes they were," Mr Goss said.
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"How far from Bluestonia [the property where Mr Matthewson lived] ?" Ms McCracken continued.
"Probably about an hour by car," Mr Goss said.
The jury heard during the trial that Mr Matthewson had an agreement to purchase the Mangana property, but the relationship with the vendor Zachary Mead had turned sour.
Mr Goss told the jury that he believed all three fires were deliberately lit although the only evidence that accelerant was used was on December 30.
"In that case there was real evidence of a pour pattern and then a V pattern across the roadway," he said.
Mr Goss said his opinion was that it was a fuel and oil mix such as that used in a chainsaw or lawnmower.
On December 8 and 18 he said that there were at least two ignition points, but no evidence of an accelerant.
In a police interview Mr Matthewson said he was the only person on the property when the fires started.
Crown prosecutor John Ransom, Ms McCracken and acting Justice Brian Martin will sum up the case on Tuesday afternoon before the jury considers its verdict 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.
