Benjamin James Thornley and Samuel James Wayne Griffiths found not guilty in Tamworth court of lighting Toyota Tarago fire

Benjamin James Thornley and Samuel James Wayne Griffiths fronted a joint hearing in Tamworth Local Court on one charge each of destroying property by fire in company.

Submissions wrapped up on Thursday and magistrate Julie Soars gave her judgement of not guilty for both co-accused men.

Police spent months investigating after a Toyota Tarago was found alight while parked on a Tamworth street before dawn on March 25 last year.

Ms Soars told the court that despite some "suspicions" she could not find beyond reasonable doubt that Thornley had been involved in lighting the blaze.

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She said she was satisfied from CCTV that Thornley had been at a nearby petrol station with another person earlier that night and filled a red jerry can, but that was only part of the prosecution case.

Ms Soars told the court there had been no direct evidence in the hearing that Thornley was on the scene of the "firing" of the Toyota Tarago.

She noted the defence had put forward other reasonable conclusions consistent with Thornley being found not guilty, including that there was space in the timeline for the jerry can to be handed to someone else.

Defence solicitor Patricia Simpson had earlier told the court there had been other "interest" in the van in the days leading up to the fire after drugs were found in it and people were arrested.

Ms Soars said she couldn't be sure Griffiths had even been at the petrol station on the night in question.

Both cases were dismissed.

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