Video footage was shown today of a man setting a couch on fire prior to the deadly Loafers Lodge blaze.
A 50-year-old with name suppression is accused of lighting two fires that Wellington night in 2023.
The fatal one was lit in the early hours of May 16, but the first was on May 15, around 10.30pm, in a common area.
Footage tracked the man’s every move in the lead up to the fire being lit, from when he arrived at the building at 7.30pm, to when he placed multiple glowing objects under the couch.
The man was seen waiting for it to ignite, before swiftly exiting the room and hostel.
CCTV cameras outside then captured him walking towards Wellington City.
He was said to have lit his second fire 90-minutes after the first.
Five people died in the fatal blaze. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to their murders and to arson, by way of insanity.
His trial continues at the High Court in Wellington on Monday.
