Ilbilbie man Luke Darby Cranston charged with arson, burglary of $1.8m home

A young man accused of stealing a rural fire truck has been hit with further charges linked to the ransacking and burning of a $1.8m home stacked with guns, ammo and gold.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Luke Darby Cranston, 23, is the latest of three to be charged over a horror incident in late 2023 that resulted in a financial loss totalling more than $500,000.

A young Ilbilbie man accused of stealing and causing extensive damage to a rural fire truck has been hit with a raft of charges linked to the ransacking and setting fire to a $1.8m home at Alligator Creek.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Luke Darby Cranston, 23, is the latest of three to be charged over a horror incident in late 2023 that resulted in a financial loss totalling more than $500,000.

Police allege Mr Cranston and co-accused broke into the property and stole $200,000 in gold bullion, $50,000 in cash, guns and ammunition and jewellery after getting into a locked safe on September 2.

A vehicle was taken and driven to Mia Mia Connection Rd and set on fire — it was completely destroyed.

File photo

It is further alleged Mr Cranston and another returned to the home on September 3 when the property was doused with petrol and set on fire.

As a result of extensive police investigations Mr Cranston was charged with two counts each of arson and enter dwelling and commit, stealing from a locked receptacle and unlawful use of a motor vehicle in relation to the alleged September 2 and 3 offending.

The owners had been overseas when the offending occurred and CCTV captured some of the offending, Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said.

The court heard Jake Edward Turner was an alleged co-accused.

Mr Turner is also facing the same six charges, which had since been committed to the district court but as yet an indictment has not been presented.

The court heard Jamella Paige Swan was also an alleged co-accused. She is only charged with enter dwelling and commit on September 2, 2023 at Alligator Creek, which is listed for sentence in Mackay District Court.

Under new bail conditions Mr Cranston must abide by no contact orders.

The court heard Mr Cranston has no criminal history.

Ms Hartigan said these new matters would go to the district court and could take up to 18 months to be finalised.

The matter was mentioned on Tuesday when the solicitor on record Aaron Sellentin, of Barron and Allen Lawyers, sought leave to withdraw after identifying a conflict of interest in relation to Mr Cranston’s recent charges, which were adjourned to October.

Luke Darby Cranston, 22, is facing a raft of charges including the break and enter and theft of an Isuzu NPS 3007 fire truck and Nissan Patrol rural fire vehicle.

Mr Cranston is also facing multiple other charges related to the break and enter and theft of an Isuzu NPS 3007 fire truck and Nissan Patrol rural fire vehicle, allegedly causing up to $350,000 in damage in November 2023.

It is alleged Cranston broke into the Sarina Marlborough Rural Fire Brigade on Tara Creek Rd on October 31 and the Victoria Plains Rural Fire Brigade on Victoria Plains Rd on November 4.

Police raided a Sarina home on November 5 where officers seized emergency lights allegedly from the Isuzu truck hidden at the Keilbach Ct property.

Officers later went to an unoccupied property on Marlborough Sarina Rd at Sarina Range, south of Mackay, where it is alleged they found the stolen truck covered by a tarpaulin.

Police allege the dashboard and parts of the truck were extensively damaged and the body of the vehicle was painted with white house paint.