Jack-Norman Elliott sets Marsden house on fire as neighbours forced to rescue dogs from $350k arson
Marsden neighbours risked their lives to rescue two dogs from a burning building when a 28-year-old man set his home on fire, causing almost $400,000 worth of damage.
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Marsden neighbours risked their lives to rescue two dogs from a burning building when a 28-year-old man set his home on fire, causing $369,000 worth of damage.
Jack-Norman Elliott pleaded guilty in Beenleigh District Court on December 14, 2022 to one count of arson.
The court heard that at 3pm on April 26, 2021 in Marsden, Elliott scrunched up a piece of paper and lit it on fire in his bedroom.
A fire erupted in the property and a neighbour came to help, Elliott told the neighbour not to call emergency services as police would frame him.
The neighbour saw there were two dogs trapped in the backyard and rescued them from the fire.
Elliott exited the house through the backdoor and ran towards his neighbour’s home and hid under the house until Police arrived and found him instantly.
When Police arrived at the scene, they found Elliott’s fingerprints on a blowtorch and he admitted to starting the fire.
He told police he started the fire to “escape evil that was after him” and his mental state was affected by heavy methamphetamine use.
Elliott’s defence said there was no risk to lives as no other people were in the building at the time but the prosecution argued the neighbours were put in danger by the fire in their attempts to rescue the two dogs.
The court heard Elliott had done significant work to battle his drug use and had relocated to Perth since the incident.
“Arson has always been viewed as an extremely serious offence by the courts,” said Judge Craig Chowdhury.
“There was no element of fraud, revenge or pyromania and you have turned your life around significantly.”
Elliott was sentenced to three years in prison, wholly suspended for 3 years after serving seven months already in custody.
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