Overview

• The 50-year-old, whose name is suppressed, faces five murder counts and one of arson for the 16 May 2023 hostel blaze, and there is no dispute he lit the fire.
• Prosecutors say he knew the act was wrong and suggest he wanted out of the lodge, presenting five mental health experts who concluded he was not legally insane.
• The defence argues a psychotic relapse from schizophrenia left him incapable of understanding moral wrongfulness, relying on forensic psychiatrist Dr Krishna Pillai’s opinion.
• Defence counsel challenged the Crown’s motive as unsupported, pointing to CCTV and interview behavior as signs of agitation and breakthrough symptoms before and after the fire.
• Justice Peter Churchman directed jurors on verdict options, including manslaughter, and outlined the burdens of proof: the Crown must prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt while the defence must establish insanity on the balance of probabilities.