Kyle Buchanan: Man who endangered nuns in Kensington blaze sentenced
An intoxicated man broke into a convent in Sydney’s southeast while nuns were asleep before setting fire to the library and putting residents in danger. He has been sentenced for the brazen act.
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A drunk man who broke into and started a fire inside a convent in Sydney’s southeast endangering the lives of elderly nuns has narrowly avoided being sent to prison.
Kyle Buchanan, 32, a builder from Sussex Inlet on the south coast of NSW, broke into The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Convent in Kensington on May 13 last year, a court has heard.
Many of the elderly nuns residing in the convent were asleep at the time but woke to a fire alarm blaring about 9.40pm, after Buchanan started a blaze in the library.
Buchanan had earlier broken into the library by climbing onto a veranda, cutting through a flyscreen and jumping through a window, the agreed facts stated.
He then walked into the centre of the library and tore pages out of books to use them as accelerant, before lighting the fire and leaving.
The fire spread from the books and a bookshelf to the carpet and caused about $20,000 damage.
The agreed facts stated quick-thinking nuns managed to put out the fire before emergency services arrived and no-one was injured despite the extensive damage.
During the ordeal, Buchanan left his fingerprint on one of the books as well as blood on a gate which he had climbed over, the agreed facts stated.
He was arrested eight months later following a remarkable match linking him with the fingerprint and DNA found at the scene.
Buchanan was sentenced on Wednesday at Waverley Local Court to a 16-month term of imprisonment to be served by way of intensive correction in the community, after pleading guilty to break and enter house or building destroy property.
Magistrate Jacqueline Trad also sentenced him to house arrest for six months, ordered he abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs and he continue with psychological treatment.
He must also pay compensation of $1000 to the convent to cover insurance costs, the court heard.
His lawyer told the court, at an earlier date, that Buchanan did not remember the incident as he was heavily intoxicated but accepted he was there and committed the offence.
“What he does say to the court is he is a very different man,” his lawyer said.
She said he had been addressing his alcohol problems including with a psychologist and had abstained from drinking for a considerable amount of time.
However, a prosecutor said his actions could have killed someone that day.
“If it was not for the fire alarm waking up the residents … this could have been more serious,” he said.
“There was potential for people to die. In that regard this is above the mid-range for this sort of offence.”
The court heard Buchanan had also been caught high-range drink driving just a month prior to this offence.
Magistrate Trad said a prison sentence must be imposed because of the seriousness of the break and enter.
However, after considering his lack of planning in the offence, his spending 86 days in custody following his arrest, and his work to address his alcohol problems, she said it was possible for him to serve a prison sentence by way of intensive correction in the community and home detention.
She added “it would build on the rehabilitation that has taken place” by Buchanan.