Sick teen torched school and cars

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Sick teen torched school and cars The Dominion Post | Saturday, 15 December 2007

A sick teenager on medication for hepatitis C caused thousands of dollars of fire damage to a Wellington school and private property on an arson spree.

Yesterday, Wellington District Court judge Bruce son accepted that while Cameron Gallagher, 18, unemployed, of Miramar was on interferon for the treatment of his condition it could alter his personality and affect his mental functioning.

Gallagher had told police when he was caught that he was angry and had urges.

Judge son said he had a report explaining the side effects of interferon which Gallagher had been on last year and appeared to have been successful in curing his hepatitis.

He said Gallagher last year torched Miramar South School four times, four cars and the hedge of a private home. Gallagher had pleaded guilty to nine charges of arson.

The damages totalled over $100,000.

No one was at the school, at home or in the cars, but Judge son said there was still significant danger to others from the fires.

Gallagher was caught when the spate of fires led to the school installing security cameras. Police went looking for the youth on the security footage and Gallagher was identified by his mother.

He set all the fires in the same way, soaking a rag in an accelerant.

Judge son said Gallagher had been born prematurely which had left physical and psychological limitations, then was later diagnosed with hepatitis C from a blood transfusion he had at birth.

He ordered Gallagher to do eight months home detention and pay $2000 to the Education Ministry and $218 to the owner of the hedge.

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