Cherry Gardens bushfire arsonist Gregory John McGannon sentenced to 13 years in jail

A judge has thrown the book at the former CFS volunteer turned arsonist who lit devastating bushfires in the Adelaide Hills on an extreme fire danger day.

From the moment of his arrest, Adelaide Hills firebug Gregory John McGannon has proclaimed innocence, repeatedly insisting his years in the CFS are proof of his noble intentions and good character.

On Monday, via video link from custody, he winced as the District Court ruled that lengthy experience made his “catastrophic” crimes all the worse – and deserving of 13 years’ jail.

Judge Emily Telfer said there could be little mercy shown to the man who destroyed two homes, 19 buildings, two vehicles and 2594ha of land, and devastated countless lives, by lighting fires “so ferocious they formed their own weather system”.

Gregory John McGannon pictured at Cherry Gardens Fire Station. Picture: File

“Any right-thinking member of the community would well understand the risk of a fire taking hold in the Adelaide Hills,” she said.

“I conclude that you, with your long history of service with the CFS, would be especially aware of the potential for catastrophic damage if a fire were to burn out of control in the Hills.

“I can draw no conclusion other than a fire burning out of control over the Hills was precisely the result you intended.

“The court and community are left without any real explanation for why you engaged in such destructive behaviour... I’m unable to reach any real conclusion about why you did what you did.”

CFS crews battle the Cherry Gardens bushfire from the ground and the air. Picture: Courtney Orrin

McGannon, 63, of Hallett Cove, was found guilty by a jury of lighting the January 24, 2021 bushfires at Cherry Gardens and Clarendon, and driving dangerously to escape police.

The jury heard that, after lighting seven fires, he was caught with cigarette lighters, defaced licence plates and a blood alcohol reading of 0.145.

Since his arrest – during which he told police he spent “30 years in the CFS” – McGannon has maintained he was trying to extinguish the fires, not light them.

When his victims spoke of their terror while confronting the “tsunami of flame”, McGannon sighed, fidgeted with papers and shook his head.

Despite condemnation from the CFS, McGannon pleaded for mercy, claiming he had been attacked in custody and likely suffered from alcohol use disorder.

A burnt car on a property on Mount Bold Rd after the Cherry Gardens bushfire. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Judge Telfer paid tribute to the victims for their courage and mourned their many losses.

She said Hills residents accepted the possibility of natural disasters by choosing to live there, but not deliberately lit blazes.

“McGannon, I want you to understand you did not just light a fire – you sparked a series of events that destroyed property, lives and whole communities,” she said.

“This was not unavoidable ... it didn’t need to happen.”

A CFS firefighter watches on as the Cherry Gardens bushfire rages. Picture: CFS Promotions Unit

The CFS, she said, had deployed 2188 personnel on 411 appliances and spent $233,000 on aerial bombardment to fight the blaze.

“That you were formerly a member of that organisation, and therefore well understood the sacrifice made by volunteers, makes your actions all the more distressing,” she said.

Judge Telfer said McGannon did not meet the psychological requirements for pyromaniac and his alcohol use explained, but could never excuse, his conduct.

She said that, combined with his refusal to accept the jury’s verdict, meant his prospects of rehabilitation were poor.

She imposed a nine-year non-parole period, ordering he not be eligible for release until January 23, 2030.