WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A trial opened Monday for a man accused of murdering five people in Wellington, New Zealand, by deliberately setting fire to a boarding house that was nearly full when the blaze swept through the building.

The 50-year-old man, whose name was suppressed for the duration of the trial at the High Court in Wellington, has pleaded not guilty to murder and arson charges for allegedly starting the May 2023 fire that killed five men at Loafers Lodge, a 92-bed hostel.

His lawyers have indicated they will rely on an insanity defense, which would mean he was incapable of understanding what he was doing or that it was wrong when he allegedly lit two fires in the multistorey boarding house. The defense team will not make a case until later in the trial, which is expecte

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