By Whakatane Beacon

The arsonist responsible for burning down Apanui School in February last year has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Blake Spurr, 22, appeared in the Whakatāne District Court yesterday for sentencing on charges of wilfully damaging property by arson, three counts of burglary and one charge of robbery by assault.

He sat still and emotionless as Judge Paul Mabey read out the summary of his offending relating to the $6 million destruction of buildings at Apanui School and a violent late-night confrontation and robbery.

The court heard how, late on February 5, 2021, Spurr broke into a classroom next to the newly constructed administration block and proceeded to steal a number of electrical devices, including three laptops, three digital cameras and a UE Boom speaker.

He tried to steal a digital data projector but was unsuccessful in removing it from the wall.

Spurr placed the stolen items in a brown rubbish bin and planned to return later so as not to be seen leaving the school with the stolen property.

At 1.30am on February 6, he was driven to the school by two associates and regained entry to the same classroom through the window.

On re-entering the classroom, Spurr located the brown rubbish bin and carried it out of the open window.

Realising he had left fingerprints on various surfaces in the classroom, he tried to wipe them off using a rag and hand sanitiser, until the idea came to him to set fire to the classroom equipment to destroy evidence that might identify him as being responsible for the theft.

Pushing a desk and chair into the corner of the classroom, Spurr covered them in a blanket and noted that the label on the hand sanitiser said it was flammable.

He poured the contents of the sanitiser on the desk, chair, blanket and rag.

He set the neck of the hand sanitiser bottle alight and then threw it onto the pile.

Spurr remained watching the fire for approximately 10 seconds whilst it spread to a nearby desk, then jumped out of the classroom window, dragging the rubbish bin with the stolen contents with him.

Residents on Pounamu Pl and Apanui Ave were awakened by the noise of the dragged rubbish bin, saw Spurr fleeing, and called the police.

His associates, who were waiting in a getaway car nearby, saw the residents waking and drove off without Spurr so they would not be connected to the crime.

They returned shortly afterwards, entering Apanui Ave from the other end of the street.

Once it became clear that Spurr had set fire to the school, his associates "strongly challenged him" on why he had done this, to which Spurr responded by explaining it was to destroy evidence.

They asked him to leave their property, which he did without incident.

The resulting fire caused "extensive and total" damage to the school administration block, the attached eight classrooms, and personal effects inside belonging to students, teachers and contractors.

At the time, the administration block was in the final stages of a major renovation, which had taken nine months to complete. It had been scheduled to open two weeks later.

The wider effects on the community were "profound" and caused prolonged and significant disruption that was still being experienced, Judge Mabey said.

"The rebuild project is a slow and lengthy process, which meant the effects of the arson would be felt within the school and the community for at least another two to three years."

The extent of the damage amounted to approximately $6m.

The school is still being rebuilt.

An hour before he set the school alight, Spurr had been at the Z Service station in Whakatāne, where a 70-year-old man had withdrawn $500 cash for his daughter's birthday.

Noticing the large withdrawal, Spurr alerted his two co-offenders, who were waiting in the car.

They followed the elderly man and offered him a ride, which he declined.

When the man walked to the Warren Park walkway, the co-offenders manoeuvered their car to block his exit from the walkway, while Spurr approached him from the other direction, asking for a cigarette and making him "uncomfortable".

Spurr did not assault the man but warned him that his accomplice was waiting ahead, and he was essentially trapped.

The accomplice left the car and punched the man in the face, knocking him over. Spurr searched his pockets, recovering the $500 cash and taking a packet of cigarettes.

The man suffered cuts, abrasions and swelling around his eyes and cheek in the assault.

Two weeks later on February 21, Spurr broke into Flora and Leaf on The Strand in Whakatāne by cutting a hole in the chainlink fence.

He stole an iPod, and was later identified by his fingerprints left in the store.

The court heard he had previous convictions for dishonesty and violence.

He had also spent time in prison on a charge of possessing utensils for methamphetamine consumption, and Judge Mabey noted Spurr had an addiction to the drug.

Spurr pleaded guilty to the charges and has been remanded in custody since the offending.

In sentencing, Judge Mabey noted Spurr's disadvantaged upbringing, his addiction issues, and took his letter of remorse into account.

The arson offending was not premeditated, rather it was "spur of the moment", Judge Mabey said.

"I want to hold you accountable for your actions, denounce them in the strongest terms, and seek to deter you and other like-minded offenders from this appalling behaviour."

He sentenced him to four years' imprisonment on the arson charge, and a year's imprisonment on each of the burglary charges to be served concurrently.

He also ordered the three strikes rule to be applied to Spurr and ordered him to pay $177.30 – one-third of the $531.90 – to the 70-year-old robbery victim, and $429 to the owner of Flora and Leaf.

At hearing the sentence, some viewers in the gallery shook their heads and some laid their heads in their hands.

"There aren't any real winners here," Senior Sergeant Al Fenwick said.

"From a policing point of view, it's good to hold people to account. An upside is it brought the community together to support the school, but it was needless offending that didn't need to happen. It's not really a day to celebrate."

He praised the Criminal Investigation Branch for its policing work in identifying the offender.

Apanui School Principal Simon Akroyd said the sentencing was all a part of the process, and they were pleased it could now be wrapped up.

- Alex Roa, Whakatane Beacon