Jury retire in trial of businessman accused of arson

A defence barrister has told a court there is ‘not a shred of evidence’ a Brisbane businessman started a $3m factory fire.

There is not a “shred of evidence” to prove a Brisbane company director torched his car repair business because he was desperate for cash, a court has been told.

Scott Gregory Stirling, 41, is on trial in the Brisbane District Court accused of starting a massive factory fire at his business All Bumpers and Headlights at Virginia on Sunday, September 24, 2017.

The blaze sent plumes of black smoke billowing across the city and the court was told it caused more than $1.3 million damage to four surrounding businesses and $1.5 million in lost trade for Officeworks Virginia.

Scott Stirling is on trial in the Brisbane District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

In his closing address to the jury this afternoon, barrister Justin Greggery QC said the Crown’s allegation that Mr Stirling started the fire because he was in financial stress was “pretty thin skinned”.

Mr Greggery said there was “not one shred of direct evidence that this fire was deliberately lit” and any suggestion that he did so for financial gain was a “superficial allegation”.

“The prosecution are asking you to jump from short term cash flow difficulties to a desperate man who saw no way out other than setting fire to a building just in the hope, not the assurance that the insurer will pay out,” Mr Greggery said.

“What a risk to take for someone with no criminal convictions.”

The trial began on Monday with prosecutor Brendan White alleging the business was facing severe financial hardship with $570,000 in debt, including $200,000 which was owed to the Australian Taxation Office.

During his closing statement, Mr White said the “only rational explanation” was that Mr Stirling lit the fire and the jury could come to this conclusion by looking at the combination of circumstantial evidence.

Mr Stirling has pleaded not guilty to one charge of arson and four counts of endangering a property by fire.

The Ormiston businessman took the stand yesterday to give evidence that when he saw plumes of black smoke rolling through his workshop he went to get a fire extinguisher.

Mr Stirling said when he was halfway to the fire, he heard a “loud popping and an explosion” so he instead ran to the office to tell his wife to get out of the building and once out he called Triple-0.

Judge Orazio Rinaudo sent the jury away this afternoon to consider their verdict.