Lawyer argues firefighters failed to investigate properly

Fire investigators questioned about Walkerston newsagency blaze. Business owner claims she did not burn down her store for a $700k insurance policy payout.

A fire broke out at NewsXpress newsagency at Walkerston Shopping Centre on July 30, 2018.

UPDATE 6pm: A BARRISTER for the Devereaux Creek woman accused of setting her newsagency on fire has told the court the firefighters failed to investigate the blaze properly.

Narelle Ann Cooper has pleaded not guilty in Mackay District Court to attempted arson to cash in on a $700,000 insurance policy.

Fire crews were called to the Walkerston Shopping Complex at 5.49pm on July 30, 2018 after a worker at a nearby butcher saw flames and smoke in NewsXpress newsagency.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service's Mark Ashford, who was the Walkerston station officer and fire investigator at the time, told the jury "we were able to determine an area of origin".

The court heard fire investigators determined the blaze began at the bottom of a pen rack next to the front counter.

 

Emergency crews were called to a fire at the Walkerston Woolworths complex in July 2018.

Crown Prosecutor Steph Gallagher questioned Mr Ashford about sources of ignition.
"That can be electrical, it can be also be … hot works like welding or mechanical … we're looking at spontaneous combustion, we're looking at candles, smoking and then obviously human involvement," Mr Ashford said.
He told the court the fire investigation ruled out electrical fault, natural causes like lightning, candles and smoking.
The court heard Mrs Cooper had put what she believed were extinguished candles in a bin filled with paper rubbish behind the counter, which was ruled out as a source of ignition.
"We basically went through everything, looked at everything in that location, CCTV cameras, air conditioning," Mr Ashford said.
"That only just leaves one which is possibly human involvement."
Mr Ashford said nothing in the investigation suggested accidental human intervention.
The court heard the fire investigator believed someone had used butane canisters to start the fire.

RELATED:

Trial day 1: Claims newsagency owner started fire for $700k insurance

The jury were shown a number of photographs where butane canisters and lids were found on the ground throughout the burnt shop interior - they had previously been told the canisters were always kept on a shelf at the back of the store.
But barrister Tony Collins, acting for Mrs Cooper, told Mr Ashford "I'll say right from the start you've got it wrong".
"Your theory is that the butane canisters were used by a person to start the fire and that fire was started at the front of the pen rack," Mr Collins said.
"That's correct," Mr Ashford said.
But Mr Collins asked Mr Ashford if the only reason he had ruled out an accidental fire by a candle was because he had taken Mrs Cooper's word that she had extinguished the candle before putting it in the waste bin. Mr Ashford said yes.
Mr Ashford told the court the damage pointed to the fire starting at the front of the pen rack and not behind the counter.
Mr Collins pointed out a large number of paint pens that contained a highly flammable chemical stored at the bottom of a pen rack and suggested the fire started from the waste bin and travelled over to the pen rack.
Mr Ashford said they would have expected more damage near the bins.
"You have not investigated this properly and neither has the QFES," Mr Collins said.
The trial and Mr Ashford's evidence will continue on Tuesday.

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INITIAL: THE husband of a woman accused of setting fire to her Walkerston newsagency for a $700,000 insurance policy has testified he had no involvement in the blaze.

 

Bradley Cooper was at NewsXpress newsagent, that he owned with his wife Narelle Ann Cooper, by about 7.30am on July 30, 2018.

He said he left by 2pm that day and had been working in his shed at his Devereaux Creek home when he found out about the fire.

"I heard the car come down the driveway … I heard Narelle yell out," he told a Mackay District Court jury.

Mrs Cooper yesterday pleaded not guilty to attempted arson.

The court heard only three people had keys to the shop, located at Walkerston Shopping Complex - Mrs Cooper, Mr Cooper and one other employee Brenda Stockden.

There might have been spare keys kept on the premises though, Mr Cooper told the court.

He told the jury he drove in a car, separate from his wife, back to the Creek St complex once he found out about the fire.

"I pulled up, the fireys were there, fire engines, people standing around," he said.

Barrister Tony Collins, acting for Mrs Cooper, asked Mr Cooper to describe his wife's demeanour.

"She was … distressed," he said.

Bradley Cooper leaves Mackay courthouse after giving evidence on day one of the attempted arson trial in Mackay District Court

Before and after photos of the store including images of butane lighters and fillers were shown to the jury.

Mr Collins also asked Mr Cooper to identify paint pens photographed throughout the store.

When asked yesterday by Crown prosecutor Steph Gallagher if he had anything to do with the fire, Mr Cooper said no.

Employee Brenda Stockden today told the jury "no I didn't" when Ms Gallagher asked if she had anything to do with the fire.

Ms Stockden told the court she had not been to the store since her shift ended on Saturday afternoon, two days before the fire, but attended the Creek St premises once she learned about the blaze.

 

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She told the court she did have a key, but she did not give that key to anyone else.

The court heard there were CCTV cameras installed in the store, but they had not worked for some time.

Both Mr Cooper and Ms Stockden said the cameras had been making a beeping sound and so they had been turned off.

Ms Stockden said she was aware the CCTV had not "been working for quite a while".

The trial continues this afternoon.

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