A Lochee man is on trial accused of causing the inferno which destroyed the Hilltown Indoor Market and Fit4Less Gym in 2018.
Christopher McKenzie-Robertson, 23, denies deliberately setting fire to a sofa on the site on September 12 2018, which resulted in £2.5 million worth of damage.
More than 60 firefighters spent hours extinguishing the blaze, which reduced the former supermarket and gym buildings on Main Street to rubble.
McKenzie-Robertson was 19 at the time of the alleged offence.
Evidence
The court heard evidence from Kai Walker, 20, who had been recorded on CCTV with the accused on the day of the fire.
The trainee painter-decorator sent a number of text messages to the McKenzie-Robertson, who he had saved as “Spastic 4 Eyed” on his phone.
He agreed messages sent between the accused and him read: “Police are after you and me. Want me to burn your jumper bro?”
The accused responded: “Eh bro” and then: “We might get done for that.”
Mr Walker responded: “Don’t phone bro. Well if it comes down to the moment you are taking the blame, I’m not going to nae Polmont.”
Mr Walker is not accused of any criminality.
When asked if McKenzie-Robertson was responsible for the blaze, Mr Walker said “no”.
He named another individual, Gary Davis, as responsible.
Mr Davis is not named as an accused on the indictment.
Depute fiscal Lora Apostolova questioned Mr Walker as to why he did not mention Gary Davis in any of the messages between himself and the accused but did say “you are taking the blame”.
Mr Walker responded: “I was 16, I was scared of going to jail.
“I was telling him I wasn’t going to take the blame for anyone.
“At the time he did not bother about his life.”
Charge
McKenzie-Robertson, of Adamson Court, denies, while acting with others, wilfully setting fire to a couch, which took effect and caused extensive damage to premises and contents, significant disruption to patrons and staff through evacuation and a potential risk to injury and danger to life on September 12 2018 at Hilltown Indoor Market and Fit4Less Gym, Main Street.
There is an alternative charge, alleging he culpably and recklessly set fire to the couch, causing the same.
He is further accused of discussing destroying clothes he was wearing at the time of the alleged fireraising, conscious of his guilt, and discussing giving a false account to police of his whereabouts, in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice, on the same date on Brown Street, Britannia Drive and elsewhere.
The trial, before Sheriff Mark Thorley, continues.
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