The fire caused about $370,000 in damage to the 132-year-old shed, also known as the Lucknow School of Arts Hall, and $14,500 in lost Men's Shed equipment on June 29, 2019.

Paul William Mooney, formerly of Byng Street, is accused of intentionally setting fire to the shed as a distraction for a break and enter he was found guilty of committing at the Orange Ex-Services' Country Club on the same day.

However, Mr Mooney pleaded not guilty to the fire and the case was heard in a judge-alone trial at Orange Courthouse that concluded on Monday.

Judge Graham Turnbull has adjourned the case with a verdict yet to be made.

Crown prosecutor Deone Provera put forward a circumstantial case that Mr Mooney was the person seen on motion activated CCTV who appeared to use petrol to set alight a woodpile against the wall of the building, which housed the men's shed at about 2.20am.

Although no fuel remnants were found in wood or ash samples taken from the scene, fire experts gave evidence based off the flare seen on CCTV footage saying an accelerant, most likely petrol, was used.

"It's the crown submission that he lit a wick, a piece of paper or cardboard," Mr Provera said.

Mr Mooney came to police attention after his DNA was found on a cordial bottle police located in grass near Phoenix Mine Road later in the morning of the fire.

The bottle contained remnants of petrol, which Judge Turnbull said he could still smell after it was taken out of sealed evidence bags in court.

Mr Mooney's DNA was found on the lip and handle of the bottle, along with partial DNA from an unidentified person.

Police later found similar cordial bottles in Mr Mooney's vehicle.

The CCTV from the fire showed the person carrying something as they left. The prosecution said it was a cordial bottle and defence said it was a torch.

However, Mr Provera accepted the bottle on its own was not enough to prove Mr Mooney's guilt and motive also played a role.

However, barrister Peter Godkin said Mr Mooney did not commit either offence and Mr Mooney is appealing a conviction and jail sentence he was given last year when he was 52 years old for the country club break and enter.

Mr Godkin said there were a number of ways the bottle could have arrived at the site next to the Mitchell Highway and he pointed to the use by date of April 27, 2019, suggesting it was an old bottle that was previously discarded.

He said the bottle was found 30 metres from the highway and about 200 metres from where the fire was lit and it had been picked up by a police officer before photographs were taken.

He said two other DNA profiles were found at the scene on a discarded coffee cup lid, a straw, disposable glove, as well as on the handle of a bowser at a disused petrol station, and suggested either of those people could have committed the offence.

"My submission is it's not possible to identify if it's a he or a she, it's not possible to identify the age of the offender [seen on CCTV]," Mr Godkin said.

"The question of identification is one that falls to Your Honour, perhaps even at the Lucknow offence there's more than one person on the video."

He said from the footage it was not clear how far the person walked towards Phoenix Mine Road.

Mr Godkin said the clothing in the footage taken from the club and fire were different. He also questioned the distraction motive given a gap of between two and three hours between the offences.

Former men's shed chairman Hugh Laird said the organisation received an insurance payout of $14,500.

To read more stories, download the Central Western Daily news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send a letter to the editor using the form below: