A police patrol car parked next to the Pāpāmoa police station was extensively damaged in a deliberate fire. Photo / File
A police patrol car parked next to the Pāpāmoa police station was extensively damaged in a deliberate fire. Photo / File
A Tauranga man has admitted a charge of arson. Sandra Conchie can now reveal what sparked this offender's crime and how the drama unfolded.
"I left home wanting to burn something. I saw a police car and knew that was it."
That is what Andrew Trevor Downs told a policeofficer when he handed himself in at the Tauranga Central police station after setting fire to a police patrol car and a large bush.
Downs, 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of arson when he appeared in the Tauranga District Court yesterday by an audiovisual link from prison.
The admitted charge carries a maximum penalty of 14 years' prison.
The police summary of facts describes how the drama unfolded in the early hours of November 4 this year.
About 3.16 am Downs was driving along Pāpāmoa Beach Rd after travelling from his home in Tauranga city to Pāpāmoa "purposely" looking for something to set fire to.
Downs spotted a marked police patrol car parked in front of the Pāpāmoa police station and next to it was a police officer in another marked police vehicle.
He drove to some nearby shops and waited until the officer had left the area, Downs returned to the police station and parked outside on the road.
Downs then removed a petrol container stored in the boot of his car and grabbed some long barbecue matches from the front passenger seat and walked up to the patrol car.
After splashing some of the petrol over the rear windscreen and boot of the patrol car, he stood back, struck one of the matches and threw it onto the patrol car.
It instantly burst into flames and because it was parked right next to the station building it could have also caught on fire, the police summary stated.
Downs then quickly got back to his car and drove towards Arataki.
About 2km down the road after he saw a bush on the side of the road in the sand dunes he stopped and tipped some of the petrol onto the long grass at the base of the bush.
He again lit a match and threw it onto the petrol which caused the whole bush to burn.
A police patrol car parked next to the Pāpāmoa police station was extensively damaged in a deliberate fire. Photo / File
Police said because of the location of sand dunes area it posed a fire risk to the "whole community".
Downs then drove back and forward between the bush and the police station so he could watch the "show unfold" as police cars and fire engines arrived to put the fires out.
After driving around the area for some time, Downs drove back towards Tauranga and handed himself in at Tauranga central police station.
In explaining his actions, Downs told the police officer interviewing him, "I have been thinking about burning something for a while.
"I left home wanting to burn something. I saw a police car and knew that was it."
Downs, who has previously appeared before the courts, also said, "I need to go back to jail, that's where I want to be."
Judge David Cameron convicted Downs of the arson charge and further remanded him in custody for sentencing on February 18.
Along with a pre-sentence report, Judge Cameron called for a psychological report.
