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By RNZ

The man accused of lighting the fatal Loafers Lodge blaze has previously been jailed for hitting someone on the head with a weapon and fracturing their skull, the High Court has heard.

The 50-year-old defendant, whose identity is suppressed, has denied murdering five people by setting the Wellington boarding house alight on May 16, 2023.

He’s on trial in the High Court at Wellington, where the jury had earlier been told the man was convicted of a “serious violent offence” in 2009 and attempted arson in 1996.

On Monday, Crown lawyer Stephanie Bishop read out the statement of agreed evidence about his previous convictions, which contained further details about the offending, including that he has been convicted of 50 offences.

The serious violent offence in 2009 happened after the man had been drinking for a number of hours following an argument with his partner at the time.

“[The defendant] retrieved a weapon from his car and used it to hit a person on the head.

“This caused a significant wound, and a fracture to their skull,” Bishop said.

He was sentenced to six years in prison.

The attempted arson in 1996 happened after the defendant had been asked to leave a hotel because of his drinking.

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He walked to a nearby butcher shop and threw a placard through the window, smashing it, before entering and setting a piece of paper alight on the counter.

The flames crept up to a metre in height and the fire lasted about two minutes.

“[The defendant] told police he wanted to burn down the butcher shop because he was angry at being asked to leave the hotel,” Bishop said.

The man had also been convicted of common assault and fraud, she said.

The defence opened its case on Monday, telling the jury the man was insane when he lit the fire and he did not know it was wrong.

Their first witness, Dr Krishna Pillai, said by lighting the fire the man wanted to scare people he believed were out to get him and he did not intend to hurt them.

The Crown’s case is that the man did know it was wrong and he lit the fire because he didn’t like living there.

The trial continues.

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