A builder who burnt down a South Melbourne pub part-owned by former Collingwood star Dane Swan has been jailed for at least 2½ years.
Andrew McMahon, 48, was in charge of renovating the Albion Hotel when he lit a fire on the pub's ground floor on October 5, 2015, because he couldn't meet a renovation deadline.
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Builder jailed for torching pub
A builder who set fire to a hotel part-owned by Dane Swan because he ran out of time for renovations has been jailed for five years. Vision: Ten News
A previous court hearing was told the blaze had destroyed the hotel and damaged neighbouring buildings, causing more than $5 million in damage.
On Tuesday, County Court judge John Jordan jailed McMahon for five years, saying he must serve two years and six months before he is eligible for parole.
McMahon, who pleaded guilty to arson, initially told police he was confronted inside the hotel by masked burglars who had knocked him unconscious.
But he later admitted starting a fire, saying it was intended to be small. He apologised to police, telling them he was in a panic and needed only a couple of weeks to complete the renovation.
The court heard McMahon was under mounting financial pressure over the renovation because of debts associated with the project and because thousands of guests had been invited to attend the venue's launch party.
He had hoped a small fire would gain him an extra fortnight to complete the project, the court heard.
McMahon, a father of two who migrated from Scotland to Australia as a 12-year-old with his family, faces the prospect of being deported to his homeland once he has served his sentence because he is a permanent resident but not an Australian citizen.
The redevelopment of the former Motel nightclub was a joint venture between Swan and others including former Melbourne Storm players Robbie Kearns and Danny Williams, and Mathew Darcy, the brother of former Western Bulldogs player Luke Darcy.