Wellington, Nov 12 NZPA - A man accused of arson, arrested after a police chase yesterday, is to appear in Nelson District Court tomorrow.

Benjamin Samuel Trathen, 22, unemployed, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged after a police chase in central Nelson, after police had earlier sought a warrant for his arrest for allegedly possessing a molotov cocktail that had been thrown into a Sovereign Street, Nelson, house on Sunday night.

The Nelson Mail reported police had also wanted to speak to him about two cars that were firebombed on Monday morning.

In Nelson District Court yesterday Trathen entered no plea to charges of intentionally damaging a car by fire knowing it was likely to endanger life, intentional damage of a car by fire, attempted damage of a house by fire, possessing an explosive, stealing petrol, threatening to do grievous bodily harm to three people, taking a van that did not belong to him, and attempting to use a fuel card that did not belong to him.

Judge Tony Zohrab remanded Trathen in custody to reappear at 10am tomorrow.

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