A Smithton man who set fire to his friend's car and destroyed the inside of his house in a drunken rampage was suffering "emotional trauma" at the time, a court has heard.
Leigh Anthony Grey pleaded guilty before the Burnie Supreme Court on Wednesday to charges of aggravated burglary, arson, unlawfully destroying property and unlawfully setting fire to property.
The court heard Grey had, on the evening of August 1, headed to the Bridge Hotel at Smithton to celebrate his son's birthday with a beer.
The party, including Grey, left the hotel in taxis about 9pm, and continued drinking alcohol at three more addresses around Smithton, where Grey was observed to be "getting emotional".
The 47-year-old man left the party at 3am, and then walked to the house of a man he had previously considered a close friend.
The friend, Jason hunt, was not home at the time.
Lawyer for the defence Greg Richardson described his client at this point as being in a "drunken rage" due to an excessive amount of alcohol and "emotional trauma".
Grey broke into the house, smashed the walls, shower screen and personal items. The court heard he then headed to the garage, where he doused a rag in a flammable liquid he found, and stuck it in the front seat of Mr Hunt's car.
The court heard the fire spread to the garage, completely destroying the building.
In sentencing, Chief Justice Alan Blow pointed out Grey had a clean record up until this point.
"The main victim of these crimes was a man with whom you were angry because your wife had left you and gone to live with him," Justice Blow said.
"About a month after she'd left, you got angry and drunk over several hours."
He said Grey's particular cocktail of crimes was the sort of thing he could "easily" impose a prison sentence of 12 months on.
"But you've got a good work record," the judge said.
"You deeply regret what you did. I've been told there's not a day of your life that you don't regret going to the other man's house in the first place.
"You're apparently in a financial position to make good on the damage you've caused.
"You pleaded guilty at a very early stage."
Justice Blow told the man he would be ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars in compensation.
He sentenced Grey to 10 months in prison, wholly suspended for a year, and fined him $3000.
He also ordered Grey to pay full compensation, estimated to be more than $70,000 for the car, the garage and for the damage to the house.
Meg Powell
Meg Powell has been a journalist for the Advocate Newspaper in North-West Tasmania since 2019. She has covered a range of areas and issues including crime, health, environmental issues, business, social affairs , the arts and education. Got a story to share? Email megan.powell@theadvocate.com.au or call 0448 302 029
Meg Powell has been a journalist for the Advocate Newspaper in North-West Tasmania since 2019. She has covered a range of areas and issues including crime, health, environmental issues, business, social affairs , the arts and education. Got a story to share? Email megan.powell@theadvocate.com.au or call 0448 302 029
