Corey Whitmore charged with arson for Ambassador Motel fires

The identity of a man charged with arson after blazes tore through an abandoned Central Queensland motel, threatening a school and service stations, can be revealed. VIDEO.

A Rockhampton man has been charged with arson after blazes broke out at the Ambassador Motor Inn in Rockhampton, two nights in a row earlier this month.

Corey Whitmore, 28, of Kawana, has also been charged with wilful damage, for allegedly setting skip bins on fire at Red Hill Homemaker’s Centre, half an hour before the second fire at the motel was reported.

According to police objection to bail documents, officers will allege Mr Whitmore and a co-accused were captured on CCTV footage from the Emmaus College, Red Hill Homemaker’s Centre and the Ampol Service Station.

In both instances, police allege Mr Whitmore and the co-accused were seen lingering around the area after the fire was lit and then “watching it develop as they walked away from the scene”.

Police allege the fires could have blown toward residential homes and the seriousness of the charges “great” given Mr Whitmore and his co-offender visited the motel on consecutive nights “with intent to destroy the building”.

Corey Whitmore is charged with two counts of arson after allegedly setting fire to a Rockhampton motel, twice.

“The defendant’s actions have not only destroyed the hotel, but also caused a serious risk to the health and safety of nearby members of the public, and QFES officers who were called to put out each of the fires,” police claimed in the objection to bail.

“The risk to public safety was compromised two nights in a row and demonstrates the defendant and his associate’s lack of thought to the potential harm that could be caused to others.

Damage from the first fire on February 5.

“If QFES were unable to suppress the fire as quick as they did the very likelihood of the fire spreading into the neighbouring Emmaus College was high and to the neighbouring service stations.”

The motel has been closed since October 2023 after it sold for $1.44 million to the co-owners of national retail store, Sydney Tools.

Plans have been approved by council to build a new showroom on the site, demolishing the motel in the process.

The fires were reported to emergency services on the nights of February 5 and 6.

The first fire impacted two of the downstairs rooms and was put out by fire crews within five minutes.

The second fire involved the rooms on the second storey above where the first fire had broken out, affecting up to four rooms.

According to the court documents, police will allege Mr Whitmore, and the co-accused gained entry to room 10 of the motel and used an unknown ignition source to set fire to the front of the room in the vicinity of a single bed mattress and the fire spread to the wall.

The two were allegedly seen in the footage entering the property from the Main Street driveway at 7.37pm and at 7.41pm used the elevator to the highway overpass.

Damage to the rear of the motel taken from Main Street.

Police will further allege the pair sat on the stairs and watched the fire for a few minutes before fleeing.

The following night, on February 6, the pair were allegedly captured on CCTV setting fire to the contents of skip bins behind Toy World at Red Hill and then at Harvey Norman, setting alight to another skip bin.

The CCTV captures them leaving the centre and walking down Yaamba Road, in the direction of the motel and then at 9.43pm the two are seen entering the motel from the Yaamba Road driveway, the documents allege.

Police will also allege Mr Whitmore used an unknown ignition source and set fire to an upper-level room on the Main Street side.

This fire spread to the neighbouring rooms and caused significant structural damage with the roof collapsing.

Mr Whitmore was charged on February 9, after police from the Rockhampton Criminal Investigation Branch allegedly identified him through CCTV footage of the fires.

The second storey of the Ambassador Motel after the second fire.

A search warrant was carried out on February 9 at Mr Whitmore’s home address and clothing was seized.

He was not home at the time.

Police located him a short time later and he was arrested and his backpack, which was allegedly worn on all three occasions, seized.

He appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 10, and he was denied bail.

He did not enter a plea to charges.

Mr Whitmore will face Rockhampton Magistrates Court on April 3 and remains on remand at Capricornia Correctional Centre.