A man found guilty of lighting a devastating fire on a day of total fire ban in 2019 had prior convictions for arson, a Supreme Court jury in Launceston heard.
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Robert Peter Matthewson, 36, of Mangana, was found guilty by the jury of three counts of unlawfully setting fire to vegetation on December 8, December 18 and December 30, 2019, at Mangana in the Fingal Valley.
Acting Justice Brian Martin told the jury of Matthewson's past convictions in 2003 after they had returned the verdict after nearly five hours of deliberation on Wednesday.
The prior convictions were ruled inadmissible at the trial by the judge, but related to houses, a car and hedges.
Matthewson used an accelerant to start the fire on the remote property on a day when the temperature was close to 40 degrees and winds were blowing at 50km/h.
The fire burnt out 20,000 hectares and threatened the towns of Mangana and Fingal.
It was out of control for three weeks and destroyed timber assets of up to $30 million according to Sustainable Timber Tasmania.
During the trial, the jury heard that Matthewson wanted to set up an off-grid community on a 24-hectare block of land he called Bluestonia.
He was in a process of paying rent to buy the property from Zachary Mead.
However, the relationship turned sour after Mr Mead visited the property and was upset by the burnt-out car bodies, the extent of tree felling and rubbish on the block.
The Crown said it was the motive which resulted in Matthewson setting fires on December 8 and December 18 all within half an hour of his co-tenants Jason and Jesse Cook leaving the property.
He was the only one at Bluestonia and Matthewson was unable to drive and had no vehicle.
On December 18, he drank four litres of wine and broke down when fire investigator Anthony Goss talked to him about the fire.
On December 30, the Cooks left the property, but noticed a plume of smoke and rushed back to the property and saved Matthewson's life as flames closed in on the vehicle.
In a police interview, he told police he hated fire because it was the scariest thing about.
He denied setting the fires.
"No way, I'm trying to build a life for myself here, I was the only idiot on the property," he said.
"Why would I be stupid enough to light a fire when I'm the only one about?"
After being charged Matthewson was granted bail to appear in March.
However, on February 25 police heard that Matthewson had booked a one-way flight to Adelaide.
He was arrested at the Hobart Airport after checking in three bags of luggage and a computer chair and remanded in custody until the trial.
Mr Matthewson tried to blame a man he threw off Bluestonia several weeks before the fires.
The jury heard that there had been six fires during 2019.
Acting Justice Martin adjourned sentencing submissions to 11am on Thursday.
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