Crown prosecutors and defence lawyers are not seeking jail time for a man responsible for a massive and destructive arson fire in White Rock’s Five Corners neighbourhood in 2016.
James Adrian Dyer, 24, pleaded guilty to charges of arson damaging property and arson in relation to inhabited property on June 2, 2023.
His sentencing hearing began Thursday morning at a Surrey Provincial Court.
Lawyers on both sides have made a joint submission to the judge seeking a conditional sentence, which would mean time served in the community.
The fire, which took place in May 2016 at an apartment and commercial building complex, displaced more than 110 residents and several businesses.
Laura Cornele, former owner of Laura’s Coffee Corner which was destroyed in the fire, was among those who read emotional victim impact statements to the court.
“It brought up a lot of feelings, a lot of emotions today. I needed to see him, I needed to know who he was. I feel good, I had some closure today, and I hope what I said impacted him a little bit,” she told Global News outside the courthouse.
“He ruined my financial status, he ruined my dream, my little shop, why I went into small business, and he ruined it for me. And the impact of all those people losing, you know, husband’s ashes are gone, paintings are gone, mementos, photos are gone.”
Dyer declined to comment as he exited the building, but apologized to the fire victims in a statement he read to the court.
“I apologize to everyone, to the victims mainly. I made terrible decisions that night. I wish I could go back in time and make much different decisions,” he said.
“I am so sorry for hurting everyone. I understand why people are angry and sad. I ruined people’s lives and from the deepest part of my soul I apologize.”
Dyer’s Aunt Michelle Jorgensen told Global News she believes her nephew has learned from the “terrible tragedy.”
“He is a good son, he is a good boy, he has changed his ways, I hope everybody will take that into account for him,” he said.
“It’s hard when somebody nice does a terrible thing one night, but he is going to do his best now.”
The fire was determined to have started in an apartment complex that was under construction before spreading to a neighbouring 60-unit building.
Video from the scene showed an aggressive fire that tore through infrastructure and took firefighters hours to extinguish.
Police said a lengthy investigation included the involvement of more than 120 police and civilian witnesses. Previously, police said two men were arrested.
Dyer received his charges back in February nearly seven years after the fire.