Arsonist Allan James Pilling jailed over public housing blazes

A Geelong arsonist caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage when he set two homes alight.

Allan James Pilling. Picture: Facebook

A serial Geelong firebug twice set homes he was living in ablaze, a court has heard.

Allan James Pilling, 46, appeared in the County Court in Geelong on Thursday and pleaded guilty to two counts of arson.

On Friday morning, Judge Michael Tinney jailed Pilling for an effective sentence of two years and 10 months across both charges, minus the 416 days Pilling had already spent behind bars.

The fires, in Newtown and Whittington, caused about $280,000 in damage.

In September 2021, Pilling set fire to the Newtown home where he was living, just minutes after police attended the property after reports of an assault, according to court documents.

Pilling was seen dragging a suitcase down Churchill Ave in Newtown while smoke alarms were blaring at his burning home.

Neighbours were evacuated and firefighters managed to bring the fire under control.

The next day, Pilling was arrested at Geelong train station and released without interview.

An investigation into the fire revealed it had likely started in two places – by furniture in the lounge room and a wheelie bin in the kitchen – with the source of ignition being a match or cigarette lighter.

Just eight days after facing a committal hearing in relation to the first fire – in which the matter was discharged – Pilling set a Whittington house ablaze on March 14, 2023.

Before setting the house on fire, Pilling lit a blaze in the backyard.

Police reported Pilling “appeared to be substance affected” and it was hard to understand what he was saying, except that he had been “cooking a roast”.

Later that night the unit was engulfed in flame about 9.50pm and shortly after Pilling was found in Challenger Close, disorientated and mumbling to himself.

It was determined that two separate fires had been lit, one by setting a chair on the patio alight and one from “electrical wiring in the … ceiling and wall cavity”, but there was no evidence of an electrical fault.

Pilling’s lawyer, Joe Connolly, told the court he “didn’t rely on any expressions of remorse” in his submission, but said his client accepted responsibility for the fires.

He argued that rather than locking Pilling up for an extended period of time, a corrections order following time in custody should be considered.

The court heard that Pilling was a diagnosed schizophrenic, but judge Michael Tinney rejected it as being in any way responsible for his offending.

“He’s got a serious mental illness, but a serious mental illness doesn’t produce this offending … drug use is deeply implicated,” Judge Tinney said.

Judge Tinney said Pilling was aware of the detrimental impact drug use had on his behaviour.

Mr Connolly told the court that prior to the 2021 fire, Pilling had gone 17 years without offending and that his risk of reoffending was “so tied” to his drug use.

“He shouldn’t be essentially warehoused because he might relapse,” Mr Connolly said.

Judge Tinney said the “true test” would come when Pilling was released.

Originally published as Arsonist Allan James Pilling jailed over public housing blazes