Man sets fire to Gold Coast self storage shed causing $169K in damages
A man set fire to a Surfers Paradise self storage shed - destroying its contents belonging to his ex-girlfriend - and causing more than $169,000 in damages a court was told. Find out his punishment
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Gold Coast woman facing homelessness has lost “everything” after her ex-boyfriend set fire to her self-storage shed.
Rhys Jamieson Hoynes, 30, pleaded guilty in Southport District Court to charges including one count of endangering property by fire after setting the contents of his ex-girlfriend’s storage unit alight.
At around 2am on December 15, 2022 Hoynes, co-accused Jessica Hope and an unidentified man arrived at the Surfers Paradise Self Storage facility on Strathaird Rd, Bundall.
Hope, the co-accused, did not appear before the court.
Crown prosecutor Ryan Godfrey said CCTV footage captured Hope climbing over the security fence on the southern side of the complex before turning to speak to the two men.
Mr Godfrey said CCTV audio recorded one of the men ordering Hope to “go around the other side and open the gate” and a short while later the group were seen unsuccessfully tampering with the door to shed 10.
On December 16, 2022 at 12.49am Hoynes and Hope returned to the self-storage facility with CCTV footage again capturing the pair attempting to break into the same shed without success.
“They can be seen going back and forth to the storage unit with different tools and can be seen kicking at the unit door,” Mr Godfrey said.
He said the pair eventually left and returned about an hour later in a Mitsubishi Triton ute bringing with them the unidentified male and successfully managed to open the door.
Mr Godfrey said Hoynes set fire to a few items inside and immediately ran, stopping midway to return and partially close the shed before all three made a getaway.
“The contents of storage shed 10 became engulfed in flames,” Mr Godfery told the court.
He said Hoynes’ ex-girlfriend had been homeless at the time and put her belongings, including ID documents and sentimental mementos in the self-storage unit.
They were all destroyed, he said.
In a victim impact statement tendered to court, Hoynes’ ex-girlfriend said many of the items were “irreplaceable” including mementos of her father who died when she was a teen. She also said that the loss of important identification documents had impacted her ability to gain work.
The incident also damaged 11 other storage sheds, Mr Godfrey said, costing the facility $169,118.87 excluding GST and insurance. The facility also lost $13,100 in income.
Hoynes was arrested in January last year while “highly drug affected” and has remained in custody since, serving 530 days in presentence custody.
A psychology report tendered to court found Hoynes suffered from antisocial personality disorder and other congenital factors related to his long-term methamphetamine addiction.
Judge Deborah Holliday sentenced Hoynes to 27 months imprisonment with immediate parole.
More Coverage
Originally published as Man sets fire to Gold Coast self storage shed causing $169K in damages
Why the Gold Coast needs more off-leash dog beaches
While clothing-optional beaches remain controversial, it seems collar-optional beaches are just as contentious, with tongues and tails wagging over a proposed new off-leash stretch of sand.
Named: Creepy old man fined for feeling woman up on Gold Coast flight
A 78-year-old Sydney man has pleaded guilty to committing an act of indecency on a domestic flight after repeatedly touching the leg of his female neighbour during a flight to the Gold Coast.