The trial of a man accused of setting a fire in his basement apartment that forced an evacuation of the building continues Wednesday.
Kevin Slack, 49, is accused of arson with disregard for human life, in connection with the Sept. 8, 2010 fire at his Lancaster Street triplex.
Slack has admitted to setting the fire, but claims he was trying to commit suicide when he did it.
On Wednesday, Slack testified that his life started to go downhill when he lost his common-law wife to cancer.
He says that led to 35 years of alcohol and substance abuse and a deep depression.
And on the day of the fire he told the court he'd had a troubling day at work, done a lot of drinking and decided to end his life.
He also said he believed no one else in the building, though he didn't really check. Three people had to be rescued from a balcony but no one was injured.
Slack told the court he bought three litres of barbecue lighter fluid from a nearby variety store and used it to set fire to his bedroom and living room, then he sat down and prayed for forgiveness.
Outside the courtroom Slack told CTV News "I'm grateful to God that what took place changed my life because I'm now drug and alcohol free for more than 20 months and living an entirely different life than I led in the past."
He believes it was divine intervention that woke him up and let him crawl to safety and is thankful no one else was hurt.
"The hardest part for me was carrying the fact of not being able to contact anyone to offer an apology for my actions, that's been the hardest thing to bear," Slack says.
While both sides agree Slack set the fire and that he should be found guilty of arson, the Crown argues that there was, in fact, a disregard for others.
The judge will decide in July whether he is guilty of the more serious charge.
