Tracy NealOpen Justice multimedia journalist, Nelson-Marlborough·NZ Herald·11 Sep, 2026 05:00 AM5 mins to readDavid Sparks has been sentenced to prison on family violence charges, including setting fire to the house where his former partner and her flatmate lived. Photo / NZME compositeWarning: This story refers to family violence and may be upsetting to some readersA man who burned down his former partner’s house as she was upstairs preparing for bed was “motivated by a strong desire to punish her”.
It could well have been fatal, Crown prosecutor Sophie O’Donoghue said
