Hubble sentenced to 10 years for setting house fire

Tim Hubble

A 27-year-old Greencastle man who admitted setting fire to an Arlington Street home early this year in an attempt to scare his ex-wife and former mother-in-law, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday afternoon in Putnam Superior Court.

In a change-of-plea and sentencing hearing, Timothy J. Hubble entered guilty pleas to three counts of arson, a Level 4 felony, in the Jan. 30 fire at 213 S. Arlington St. and adjacent home at 601 Anderson St., Greencastle.

Calling the incident "a very, very serious thing," Hubble said he was extremely remorseful and realizes the situation could have turned out far worse -- were it not for a barking dog and quick work by the Greencastle Fire Department.

"Easily I could have killed somebody, easily," he said in his statement of elocution before Judge Denny Bridges pronounced sentencing.

Hubble admitted he could have been looking at a murder charge instead of the arson counts, adding, "I don't know what I would do if I was sitting here before you having hurt someone I love."

While attempting to scare Shienisty Hubble, his estranged wife, Hubble set fire to a couple of boxes under the outside stairway on the west side of the 213 S. Arlington St. apartment occupied at the time by former mother-in-law Beth Ann Clodfelter and Marisa Hurst, the girlfriend of Clodfelter's son, Joseph Aton.

Awakened by a barking dog, the two women fled out a back door after finding the staircase to the main entrance engulfed in flames.

Judge Bridges sentenced Hubble to 10 years on each arson count with the sentences to run concurrently. Two years of the 10 were ordered to be executed in the Indiana Department of Correction (therapeutic community recommended); four years as a direct commitment on Community Corrections and four years on probation with credit for 253 days served in the Putnam County Jail (leaving him about 290 days left to serve).

Hubble is also to report to probation upon his release from the DOC to arrange for a mental health evaluation.

He was also ordered to pay restitution to apartment and home owners John and Joyce Black, $3,000; Beth Clodfelter, $2,882.77; Joseph Aton, $1,951.55; and Marisa Hurst, $1,608.50 ($9,442.82).

Judge Bridges actually imposed a longer sentence than sought by Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter or the victim Clodfelter.

Bookwalter suggested nine years total with seven served and two on probation.

"My problem with the case," he said, alluding to what could be seen on video recorded by cameras on the Black property, "is he sets the fire and runs off toward Robe-Ann Park."

Had Hubble been as remorseful as he said he is, Bookwalter suggested, "he would have thought, 'I screwed up,' and tried to put it out or knock on the door" urging the occupants to get out.

In a letter to the court, Clodfelter suggested Hubble serve a five-year sentence with one year in prison, two years on home detention and two more on probation.

Defense attorney Darrell E. (Eddie) Felling II told the court Hubble has received "more support from family and friends than any other client" he's ever represented. More than a dozen of his supporters were in the courtroom.

He also stressed that his client needs drug and alcohol treatment, indicating alcohol has been "a facilitator" in all five of Hubble's prior convictions.

Felling also acknowledged the serious of the case.

"This could have been a murder case," he noted. "Thank God we're not here for that."

That's precisely where Judge Bridges began his sentencing explanation.

"At least four people could have died," the judge said, "and we'd be looking at 65-year sentences. Instead, we're looking at 12 years (the maximum for a Level 4 felony)."

A Level 4 felony charge of arson carries a sentencing range of 2-12 years in prison.

Bridges, who pointed out Hubble's five previous alcohol-related indiscretions, said he wasn't quire sure what to make of repeated comments about remorse by Hubble and his supporters.

"People get remorse when they get caught," the judge reasoned. "Would you have turned yourself in if you hadn't been caught (on tape)? I don't know?

"We'll see if you're telling the truth or not."

That led the judge to imposing what he called "a rather lengthy sentence," noting that the four years of home detention and four years of probation will be added to Hubble's executed sentence "if anywhere along these years you get drunk and slip up and set a fire."

"The goal," the judge added, "is to get you to comply with the law."

He suggested that the previous alcohol-related incidents on Hubble's record means he "basically flipped off" friends or family or anyone who previously tried to help him.

"The difference now," Judge Bridges concluded, "if you flip me off, you're going to go to prison."