Dunedin Court Hands Arsonist 54 Months Behind Bars

Andrew Healey will spend at least 28 months in prison before he can apply for parole. The Dunedin District Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday for his role in five separate fires that occurred in late November 2025.

Judge David Robinson imposed a total term of four years and six months. Healey, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts of arson that endangered life and three counts of arson against property. The judge described Healey as having an entrenched history of offending. He noted that the defendant showed little motivation to change his behavior.

The court heard that Healey acted as the primary instigator in all five incidents. He did not drive the vehicle used for the crimes. Instead, he worked with two accomplices who provided transport and lookouts.

The first incident took place on November 14, 2025. The group entered the derelict Glamis Hospital on Montpellier Street. Healey used a lighter and an accelerant to set fire to discarded items. The fire spread through much of the building. The trio watched from a nearby park and did not warn neighbors. They later set fire to a portable toilet on Tomahawk Road in Ocean Grove.

A few days later, the group torched a building on Harrow Street. The damage was severe enough that demolition is likely. Healey again failed to inform nearby residents of the danger. The summary of facts stated that the structural damage was extensive.

The group then moved to 23 Lees Street. Three neighboring houses were occupied at the time. Healey and an accomplice threw three Molotov cocktails at the unoccupied single-story house. One bottle bounced off and did not ignite. The second went through the front window and caught fire immediately. The third bottle is not described in the outcome. Healey and his accomplice climbed into the car and drove to Kensington Oval to watch the blaze.

Fire crews determined that full demolition of the Lees Street property was a likely outcome due to structural damage. The following morning, the group parked near the Otago Pistol Club. Healey and an accomplice walked into a wooded area. Healey used accelerant and a rolled-up newspaper wrapped in black duct tape to ignite trees and vegetation. A passing driver called the fire service. Crews extinguished the fire after the trio drove away.

Police executed a search warrant at Healey's home on November 19, 2025, and arrested him. During sentencing, the court reviewed a letter Healey wrote to express remorse. Judge Robinson said the letter was entirely inconsistent with Healey's behavior during the pre-sentence report. In that report, Healey minimized his culpability.

The judge acknowledged a troubled background for Healey. He noted that Healey's brother was badly burnt in a fire. Robinson stated that seeing the effects of fire would alert a person to its ability to cause widespread harm. He granted a 5% discount for this background. He also cited the absence of explanation for Healey's actions. The court found that Healey still poses a risk to the community.

Healey was not the driver in any of the five incidents. The court accepted that the fires occurred under cover of darkness. CCTV footage captured the group's escape after the Tomahawk Road fire and the drive away from the Otago Pistol Club. The sentence reflects the judge's view that the defendant's history and current behavior justify a substantial period of imprisonment.