Family feud led to house being torched
A family feud led to a woman burning down the Darfield house where her sister and two children lived.
The rented farm house was destroyed, which led to a $195,000 insurance pay-out, and the family was left with just the clothes they were wearing and their car.
The arsonist, Janice May Greening, 54, has now been found guilty at a Christchurch District Court jury trial and was today jailed for four years nine months by Judge Emma Smith.
The woman’s sister had been struggling financially and just two weeks before the fire had cancelled her household contents insurance.
The arson victim died in 2014, but the family’s plight was described at Greening’s sentencing.
The court was told that the Darfield community rallied round to support them. They stayed for free at the Darfield Motel for three weeks until accommodation was found for them, a baker gave them food, and the community helped with furniture and clothing.
Police investigations at the time did not resolve the case, but in 2014 Greening was arrested and she went on trial in Christchurch this year. The trial heard evidence of her alleged confession to the arson to someone who was called as a witness.
Defence counsel John Sandston said Greening – who has been living in Nelson and receiving a sickness benefit for several years – accepted that a jail term would be imposed. He said she had no ability to pay reparations.
He said the circumstances of the fire meant that it did not pose any risk to occupants – the family was out at the time – and there was no danger to firefighters because it was so well alight when the brigade arrived that there had been no attempt to search rooms. It was in a rural area and posed no danger to neighbouring properties.
Items were taken from the house before the fire was set in the lounge, so it would have been evident to the arsonist that no-one was home.
Judge Smith said Greening had fallen out with her sister over family matters, and the jury had found that she set fire to the rented property on a farm where her sister lived and did part time work, about 7.30pm on May 25, 2007, when the family was out to dinner.
Petrol was used to set it alight.
The family lost everything, including all their possessions, trophies, mementoes, and a pet mouse and bird.
“The motive was extraordinary,” said the judge. “It was simply likely spiteful in the context of a long broken-down sibling relationship. It was likely in response to some perceived need by you for retribution. It was peevish.”
Greening had been “unfeeling at any level”, she said.
She jailed her for four years nine months, and told her that if there had been any risk to life the sentence would have been longer. She made no reparation order because Greening was broke and could not pay any meaningful amount.
Category: Focus
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