A drifter who started a blaze that ripped through an Australian backpackers’ hostel, killing 15 young holidaymakers, including a Limerick woman, was today sentenced to life imprisonment.

Robert Long, who was found guilty today of murder and arson by a jury in Brisbane, Australia, made little attempt to conceal his growing hatred of backpackers in the weeks leading up to the fire at a crowded Australian hostel that killed 15 young travellers.

A jury in Australia has entered a second day of deliberations in the trial of a homeless fruit-picker accused of starting a fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe and seven British people.

A jury today began considering its verdict in the trial of a drifter charged with starting an Australian hostel fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including seven Britons and an Irish woman.

A backpacker who waited six months before telling police he saw accused hostel arsonist Robert Long standing over a burning bin on the night of the fire yesterday denied he was telling ‘‘a pack of lies’’.

A fruit picker who allegedly started a fire at a Australian hostel that killed 15 travellers, including an Irish girl, had ‘‘expressed antagonism to backpackers in general’’ before the blaze, a prosecutor said today.

A homeless fruit picker today pleaded not guilty to murder and arson charges linked to a devastating blaze that ripped through an Australian backpackers’ hostel, killing 15 tourists nearly two years ago.

A 38-year-old drifter accused of setting fire to the Australian backpackers’ hostel in which Limerick girl Julie O'Keeffe perished, is due to go on trial on Monday.

The trial of a fruit picker accused of deliberately starting a fire in Australian backpackers hostel which killed 15 travellers, including six Britons, has been postponed.

A memorial service has been carried out at the site of the hostel fire that killed an Irish back packer in Australia last year.

The magistrate who expressed sympathy with the families of the victims of the Australian hostel blaze has been cleared to continue hearing the case against a man accused of murder and arson.