Daniel Webster hired two men to set fire to his boat in Hope Island marina

A mechanic has offered up an unusual excuse for hiring two people to set fire to his boat, causing four other vessels to be severely damaged.

A mechanic hired two people to set fire to his boat because he was worried the coronavirus pandemic was going to hurt his business.

Four other boats were destroyed when Daniel Mark Webster’s vessel was set alight at the Hope Harbour Marina in Hope Island late on June 2, 2020.

Webster admitted to doing it for the insurance claim to help in case his mechanic business was financially destroyed by the pandemic.

His business had not seen any financial impact at the time and had not suffered since.

Webster, 36, pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Monday to arson and attempted fraud.

Judge Brad Farr sentenced Webster to four years’ prison, to be suspended after Webster had served 12 months.

“It was not known to the defendants that others were not on their boats,” he said.

“This is serious offending that has had an impact on quite a lot of people.”

Judge Farr said the arson was not a “spur of the moment” decision.

“You embarked on this conduct due to the effect of Covid-19 would have on your mechanics business,” he said.

Some of the damage done to the boats after the fire at Hope Harbour Marina at Hope Island. Picture: Jerad Williams

“There had been no financial impact and there has been no financial impact.”

Crown prosecutor Caitlyn Usher told the court Webster had approached Brandon Troy Gibson-Tinetti about setting fire to the boat so he could claim it on insurance.

He took Gibson-Tinetti to the marina, showed him his boat and told him it would be unlocked.

Gibson-Tinetti, accompanied by Keegan Smith, then used a jerry can of fuel and toilet paper to set the boat on fire.

Four nearby boats were damaged.

A police forensic officer taking photographs of fingerprints at the security gate after the fire. Picture: Jerad Williams

Smith was last year sentenced to two years and six months in prison while Gibson-Tinetti was last November sentenced to three years’ prison.

A day after the fire, Webster’s wife tried to make an insurance claim, the court was told.

It was never paid out.

The boat was insured for $50,000.

The court was told that one of the boats destroyed was purchased for $12,000 and the owner spent $71,000 in renovations.

Another boat was bought for $200,000 30 years ago and had received $55,000 in renovations.

Scene of boat fires at Hope Harbour Marina at Hope Island. Picture: Jerad Williams

A third boat was purchased for $58,000 in 2015 and the fourth vessel was purchased for $23,000, the court was told.

Defence lawyer Bill Potts, of Potts Lawyers, said the arson was “an act of desperation”.

“There was no suggestion the money was going to be spent anywhere but on his family,” he said.

“There is no suggestion it was going to fast horses or slow horses.”

Webster was supported in court by about half a dozen people, including his wife.

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Originally published as Daniel Webster hired two men to set fire to his boat in Hope Island marina