Teen arsonist faces $10,800 bill

The fire-damaged pirate ship in the Hastings Host Lions Club Community Playground at Windsor Park, in January. Photo / Doug Laing

A 17-year-old girl who torched a Hastings playground pirate ship in a fit of pique over an affair of the heart now has a $10,800 bill for reparation.

The impost was levelled by Judge Tony Adeane in Hastings District Court yesterday after he was told Hereateu Tumanako, of Hastings, wanted to make some amends for the damage she caused on the morning of Sunday, January 8, this year, in what was the second attack on the structure in 48 hours.

The play-ship had been commissioned only six weeks earlier. Built in a new Hastings Host Lions Club Community Playground in Windsor Park, Mayfair, it was partly in memory of a much larger pirate ship which had been destroyed by arson in the grounds of neighbouring theme park Splash Planet in April last year.

Tumanako pleaded guilty on June 14 to a charge of arson and yesterday was sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' probationary supervision, as well as being ordered to pay the reparation.

As the offence had been committed with another young person, the amount was her half share of the $21,600 it had cost the Hastings District Council, although the council says it had spent almost double that to guard against vandalism.

Among the steps was the installation of sensor-triggered security lights.

Judge Adeane said Tumanako, who had not previously come to police notice, needed to both get her life back on track and appreciate the seriousness of what she had done in a low moment in her life, which he expected would mean little to her in later years.

The court had been told that it was her response after learning her "boyfriend" was with another girl. Aware another teenager had failed in an attempt to burn the new wooden structure, she decided to show "how it is done", a police summary said.

Lions club president Carol McMillan told Hawke's Bay Today she was aware the teenager was "hurting" over the "silly thing" that she had done, but the vandalism seemed to have been the "turning point" for a part of Hastings which had called for a playground to meet the needs of children in the area, and had proudly enjoyed its official opening on November 29 last year.

The club, one of about 46,000 clubs across 200 countries in the near century-old Lions Clubs International community service movement, worked in conjunction with the Hastings District Council to establish the park, painting the pirate ship that was burned in January and a train also built as part of the attraction, and also providing a barbecue for community use.

But the club will continue to be involved, and members often pass the playground.

Their president said: "I often hear comments about there being lots of kids playing there. I think there's a lot of pride in having been involved."