Kevin Slack is on trial for arson with disregard for human life, but the 48-year-old Kitchener man says he was trying to kill himself not hurt anyone else.
Defence lawyer Steve Gehl says "This is a suicide attempt by Mr. Slack as a result of a severe depressive episode."
While there is no disagreement over whether Slack set the fire, the Crown argues there was a disregard for human life.
The day of the fire, Slack left an angry phone message for his employer shouting about a lack of hours, swearing and saying "I'm going out in a blaze of glory."
Slack then apparently used starter fluid to set the fire in his basement apartment in a triplex on Lancaster Street.
Emergency crews were called to the scene around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2010. Slack had to be treated for smoke inhalation, and was arrested and charged the following day.
Mike Herd and his wife were living in a third floor apartment in the building at the time, and had a friend visiting when the smoke alarm went off in the hallway.
"It was horrifying…at first you really didn't notice the smoke. It wasn't until after we tried turning the alarm off and walked into the apartment you could see the smoke along the ceiling. We gathered a few things, ready to go out that hall and by then you couldn't see your hand in front of your face."
Herd says they then went to the balcony and firefighters had to use a ladder to get them down.
Gehl says Slack was having trouble with alcohol and other issues at the time of the fire.
"It is often difficult to appreciate when people slide into depression, combine it with alcohol and it leads to lack of self-worth and unfortunately at times suicide attempts that are suicide successes."
But whatever Slack's motivation, the Crown still believes there was a disregard for the lives of the others in the building when he set the fire.
The trial is ongoing.
