Shannon James found not guilty of Silks on Upton brothel arson
A man on trial accused of firebombing a Gold Coast brothel in what has been described as an “arson attack” - and captured in dramatic footage - has learned his fate. READ THE VERDICT
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A man has been found not guilty of deliberately setting a fire that caused extensive damage to a Gold Coast brothel.
It was previously alleged Shannon James was one of the people involved in starting a blaze that ripped through the Silks on Upton brothel at Bundall at about 4.30am on November 10, 2020.
Mr James pleaded not guilty to the arson charge and was acquitted by a jury on Wednesday, after a three-day trial in Southport District Court.
The 47-year-old said only, “Thank you, Your Honour” when he was discharged and told he was free to go by Judge Ken Barlow.
Dramatic CCTV footage of what was described during the trial as an “arson attack” was played to the jury during the proceedings, showing two people dousing the brothel’s entrance with liquids before setting it alight.
It was alleged at the trial’s outset that DNA testing confirmed Mr James contributed to DNA found both on the inside of a glove found outside the burnt-out brothel and a Honda Accord believed to be involved in the arson.
The final evidence in the case was heard earlier on Wednesday, with four defence witnesses claiming Mr James - who was at the time working as a contract panel beater - was at Gold Coast Collision Centre early on the morning of the fire.
Tow truck operator Nathan Smith said Mr James was one of several people present when he had a photo taken with his custom truck after 11am the same day.
Collision Centre owner Daniel Leishman also said that gear such as gloves and earmuffs were shared between workers.
Mr James’ barrister Russell Pearce said in his closing address that even accepting it was likely the red-and-black glove found at outside the burnt-out brothel was left behind by the culprit, the mixed DNA profile was “effectively meaningless”.
“It could be as simple as someone shaking Mr James’ hand and then putting their hand in the glove – his DNA goes on the hand (and) the hand goes in the glove,” he said.
Mr Pearce also questioned the strength of the mobile phone and DNA evidence allegedly linking Mr James to the scene of the crime or the Honda Accord, which was previously registered in his partner’s mother's name.
Crown prosecutor Caitlin Usher had urged jurors to find Mr James guilty, saying he was the sole link between all four pillars of evidence – the glove, the car, the phone, and paint drums found at the scene that she alleged were sourced from the accused’s workplace.
Ms Usher claimed the “only rational inference” was that Mr James – donning his red-and-black gloves – drove the silver Honda from his Burleigh Waters home to Silks.
“He and another person used two (paint drums) – which had been taken from the defendant’s place of work, Gold Coast Collision Centre – to spread flammable liquid throughout the entry and exit of the building and (lit) it,” she said.
Killer cop, cocaine-dealing rival named in brothel arson trial
One of the nation’s most notorious criminals, prominent court cases, and a drug-dealing rival brothel owner have all been brought into play during a Gold Coast arson trial.
Disgraced NSW detective and convicted murderer Roger Rogerson and the cocaine case embroiling prominent restaurateurs Steve and Autumn Adams were among the high-profile names mentioned on the second day of Shannon James’ trial in Southport District Court.
Mr James stands accused of deliberately setting fire to the Silks on Upton brothel at Bundall on November 10, 2020. The 47-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the arson charge.
Detective Senior Constable Alana Ritchie told the court on Tuesday that she was involved in the arson investigation from the day of the fire, describing the significant damage at the scene and how police sourced CCTV footage and mobile phone records.
She was questioned by Mr James’ barrister Russell Pearce about suspicions shared by the owner and employees of Silks about the man – known as ‘Jimmy’ – running their competitor Utopia in Paradise.
Mr Pearce said the Utopia in Paradise owner’s real name was Manjot Singh Meghla, who was reportedly a former NSW police officer and had been sentenced last year in the Supreme Court for supplying cocaine.
Both Senior Constable Ritchie and another detective were cross-examined about their knowledge of a man named Bill Duff, who was romantically linked with the mother of Mr James’ partner at the time.
The court was told Mr Duff told police he had purchased a Honda Accord allegedly tied to the fire, but that the vehicle was initially registered in his partner’s name.
Mr Pearce described Mr Duff as a disgraced former detective and associate of the infamous Rogerson, and suggested to police witnesses that he was named among those the Adams couple were prohibited from contacting as part of their bail conditions on cocaine charges.
The restaurateurs were two of eight people charged in relation to an alleged cocaine bust last month.
Mr Adams faces two charges each of supplying and possessing cocaine, and Mrs Adams is charged with possessing cocaine. They have not entered any pleas and Mr Duff is not mentioned in the bail undertaking attached to their court files.
An anonymous and now redacted report led police to a Sydney basement carpark where the Honda Accord was found covered and with both registration plates in the boot, the court was told during evidence.
It was heard the car was driven from Brisbane to Sydney later on the day of the fire, but there was nothing to indicate Mr James had made the same trip.
The parking space was rented out by a resident of the building for several months last year before the Honda was seized, with the second detective claiming several bank transfers from an account in Mr James’ partner’s name that matched payments for the spot.
It was alleged earlier in the trial that testing confirmed Mr James had contributed to DNA found inside the Honda and in a red-and-black glove discovered at the brothel after the blaze.
The trial will continue before Judge Ken Barlow on Wednesday.
Man on trial accused of brothel ‘arson attack’
A trial is underway for a man accused of firebombing a Gold Coast brothel in an “arson attack” captured on CCTV.
Shannon James was allegedly involved in deliberately lighting the fire that caused massive damage to Silks on Upton at Bundall at about 4.30am on November 10, 2020.
The 47-year-old pleaded not guilty to one count of arson at the beginning of his trial in Southport District Court.
Jurors audibly gasped as CCTV footage of the alleged arson was played on Monday, showing two people dousing the brothel’s entryway with liquids before setting it alight, quickly returning to their vehicle as the blaze erupted.
The court was told two metal paint drums and a red-and-black glove were found at the scene, and that police identified the car involved as a Honda Accord.
DNA testing confirmed Mr James contributed to DNA found both on the inside of the glove and the steering wheel of a Honda Accord later found in a carpark in NSW, it was heard.
Crown prosecutor Caitlin Usher said in her opening address that the evidence against Mr James was circumstantial, but considered together would lead the jury to one conclusion.
“Now it’s not in contest – clearly this building was set alight and you have seen footage of exactly what has happened,” Ms Usher said.
“What is the real issue for you to consider throughout this trial is identification – whether the defendant, Shannon James, is one of the people in the footage you just saw.
“The Crown says the man in the red-and-black gloves.”
Silks owner Daniel Hammond described the fire as an “arson attack” during his evidence on Monday, saying he arrived after 6am to find his business had burned down after waking to calls from their security company and the building’s cameras being offline.
Both he and the brothel manager said they noticed a paint drum and red-and-black glove at the scene after the fire, but had never seen either at the premises before.
Under cross-examination by Mr James’ barrister Russell Pearce, both witnesses said they told police there had been tension between Silks and their competitor brothel across the road, Utopia in Paradise, in the lead-up to the fire.
Mr Hammond said he had lodged complaints against the other brothel – owned by a man he knew as Jimmy – but by the time the council came by, his business was no longer there.
“There was one person that was going to profiteer out of our business not being there more than anyone else,” he said.
“(It) was a very, very highly regulated industry – when you have one side of the street that’s playing by the rules and one of them’s not … we did everything correct, we made complaints, and we never got anything changed unfortunately.”
The trial continues before Judge Ken Barlow. Mr James remains on bail.
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