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Man Accused Of Setting Penny Flats On Fire Takes The Stand

FORT COLLINS (CBS4) - The man fighting arson and attempted murder charges for allegedly setting a condominium complex on fire in Fort Collins was back on the stand in his own defense on Friday.

On Thursday Benjamin Gilmore described getting burns on his hands from learning how to "spin fire" -- or perform with fire, not from the Penny Flats fire. The defense showed pictures of Gilmore and friends spinning fire.

Gilmore has said that on the night of the condo fire he was on the job as a beekeeper.

Gilmore's $4,000 Rolex watch was found at the fire scene. He claimed he had misplaced it. The prosecution made the argument a $4,000 watch was something most people would take better care of.

Prosecutors showed the jury a series of text messages Gilmore exchanged with his wife, which show he did not respond to some of the texts in the very early morning hours of Oct. 24, the morning of the fire.

Closing arguments are expected to take place on Tuesday.

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