A Carlisle man accused of arson following a fire which destroyed his shed has denied wrongdoing, saying the structure was his life and telling a jury: “I’m a lover, not a hater.”
David Paul Beattie, 47, gave evidence in his defence at the city’s crown court this afternoon.
He is on trial accused of three charges alleging arson after damage was caused to another shed and fencing on neighbouring land.
Jurors have heard firefighters attended the address at Buchanan Place in Currock at around 5pm on June 9 last year. They tackled a blaze engulfing a large shed which was destroyed.
A fire service watch manager told the jury Beattie said he’d thrown a cigarette into the shed after an argument with his partner.
After police were called, Beattie was arrested.
In custody, an officer logged him saying: “I had an argument with my missus and threw a cigarette in the shed. I’ve burned my whole life down. Do you think that I meant to do that?”
In evidence, Beattie said he’d built the shed as a man cave, in which he would pursue his hobby of spray paint art.
On June 9, he admitted having cross words in the late morning with his partner, who left he house just before noon.
He spent time spray-painting a mirror in the shed, which he left to dry.
Asked what he recalled saying to fire service personnel, Beattie said: “That I chucked a cigarette in the shed on the floor and stubbed it out. They misunderstood that I chucked it in the shed.”
After returning to he house he heard popping noises.
He went back outside, seeing black smoke and flames, and intending to use a hose.
“It was too late. It was just ablaze,” said Beattie. “That was my life. It was my man cave. I have put blood, sweat and tears into it.”
He insisted “it was just an accident”, and added: “That is not me. I’m a lover, not a hater.”
Beattie admitted he drank heavily at the time, around three bottles of wine a day, but was currently involved in a detoxification programme. He had also since rebuilt neighbouring fencing.
His lawyer, Jack Troup, asked him: “Did you do this deliberately?”
Beattie said: “Not a chance.”
“Did you do this in any way recklessly?” asked Mr Troup.
“No, sir,” replied Beattie.
“Were you in a drunken rage? asked Mr Troup, referring to a prosecution allegation.
“No I wasn’t,” the defendant responded.
Asked whether he had thrown he cigarette into the shed, Beattie again said: “Not a chance.”
He described the incident as horrible and awful and repeated that it was just an accident.
“This has haunted me, every day of my life for the past year,” he said.
During cross-examination, Beattie, of Margaret Creighton Gardens, Carlisle, maintained: “It wasn’t arson.”
The trial continues.
