Phillip massage parlour arsonist jailed

Jenn's Magic Massage was destroyed in the August 2018 blaze, which caused losses in both equipment and trade that amounted to large sums of money.

In September, Andrew John Richardson, 37, was arrested in relation to the fire after police identified him from surveillance footage.

He later pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to arson.

In a sentence handed down this week, Justice Michael Elkaim said Richardson did not seem to have any particular reason for attacking the business except that he chose it because it "smelt".

The judge said there was a little more of a clue in a doctor's report, which reported Richardson saying:

"I was having a bad night, not hearing voices, was not sleeping, I was agitated, walked in there one time and it smelt bad, of semen."

Richardson has a previous diagnosis of schizophrenia and a history of depression.

"There was clearly a degree of premeditation but it is very apparent that his mental health issues were also at play," the judge said.

Richardson has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and is socially isolated.

"Without knowing why he committed the crime it is difficult to know if he is likely to reoffend. One can only assume that the crime was precipitated by his mental health issues," Justice Elkaim said.

"The authors of the pre-sentence report have assessed him as having a low to medium risk of reoffending."

Richardson was jailed for 20 months, with the sentence to be suspended after 15 months.

With time served he will be released on December 5 on condition he enter a good behaviour order.