St Mary’s Covid-19 testing clinic set alight, police investigating

Conspiracies have been spray-painted over a building opposite a Covid-19 testing clinic, with police investigating a suspicious fire.

Police believe it is only a matter of time before they catch the person who allegedly set fire to a western Sydney Covid-19 testing clinic where “F--k Gladys, Covid is a lie” was also graffitied in a conspiracy rant.

Late on Saturday night, emergency services responded to reports of a fire at a Laverty Pathology clinic on Forrester Road at St Marys.

Nepean Police Area Command officers found a demountable building in flames, which was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW, while graffiti was found on a separate building.

On Sunday, forensic investigators could be seen combing through a small demountable that was burnt out next to the drive-through Covid-19 testing clinic.

A demountable at a Covid-19 testing clinic at St Marys was damaged by a 'suspicious' fire. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Inside the demountable that was completely destroyed by fire. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Across the carpark, Covid-defying messages were spray-painted on a building. The series of messages read, “Covid-19 is a lie people wake up now. Fight the system. Revolt. Covid=lies. Fight the government. Refuse control. F--k the system. F--k Gladys.”

Nepean Police Area Command Detective Inspector Jason Pietruszka said the messages were “ridiculous”.

“Police on scene noticed anti-government and anti-covid sentiment that had been spray-painted on various buildings within that same testing clinic,” he told reporters.

“To be perfectly honest, it is quite ridiculous and quite pointless to engage in such conduct.

“People are entitled to have their opinions but what this person has engaged in is criminal; it's obviously also very damaging to the community who rely upon this testing clinic.

“It is criminal and will be seriously frowned upon by the courts ... when they are put before them.”

A Covid-19 testing clinic at St Marys operates on Sunday despite a 'suspicious' fire on Saturday, which police are investigating. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Anti-government and anti-Covid graffiti on a building opposite the fire scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

The demountable that was burned did not contain materials essential for performing Covid-19 tests, detective inspector Pietruszka confirmed.

On Sunday the clinic was performing tests as normal, despite police and investigators remaining at the scene.

The cause of the fire is not yet determined; however, it is being treated as suspicious.

Detective inspector Pietruszka said investigators believed the alleged offender acted alone and expected to find evidence, both from anticipating the offender would “brag” perhaps on social media and from extensive CCTV footage available at the scene

“These are generally offences where people like to brag about what they've done .. we would ask (the general public) to contact Crime Stoppers

“We'll be making every inquiry and every attempt to put this before the courts.”

Originally published as St Mary’s Covid-19 testing clinic set alight, police investigating