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Lennox Head cleaner Rae Mcalpine sentenced after torching her car for $18,900 insurance payout

A North Coast cleaner torched her car for an insurance payout after losing her licence for high-range drink driving, a Byron court was told.

Rae Mcalpine pleaded guilty to setting her car on fire for an insurance payout.
Rae Mcalpine pleaded guilty to setting her car on fire for an insurance payout.

A Lennox Head cleaner torched her car for an insurance payout two weeks after losing her licence for high-range drink driving.

Rae Mcalpine wept as she faced Byron Bay Local Court on Monday, pleading guilty to dishonestly damaging property by fire for gain.

The 39-year-old’s Nissan Pathfinder had been parked against the neighbour’s fence since she lost the privilege to drive it.

Loud bangs woke neighbours, they spotted the Nissan alight and dialled triple-0 about 5am on September 11, 2021, court documents state.

A neighbour used a garden hose to douse the fire while another banged on Mcalpine’s door.

Rae Mcalpine outside Byron Bay Court House
Rae Mcalpine outside Byron Bay Court House

Police arrived and Mcalpine said she went to bed at 9.30pm and had not woken up.

Officers noted the smell of alcohol and Mcalpine’s recycling bin was filled with alcohol bottles, the documents state.

The Nissan’s boot and seats were burnt and the tyres were flat.

Mcalpine told police she bought the car for $20,000 about 18 months prior and it wasinsured by NRMA.

She received $18,900 from the company after the fire.

Traces of turpentine were found in the car.
Traces of turpentine were found in the car.

The car was forensically examined andturpentine was detected, police state.

Mcalpine admitted to a witness she was responsible for the fire and they made a statement to police.

“She (Mcalpine) disclosed she had burnt out her car using mineral turpentine that she had purchased from IGA,” police documents state.

Mcalpine told the witness: “It only took 15 minutes for a neighbour to wake me up.”

Byron Bay IGA informed police a bottle of turpentine was paid for with Mcalpine’s bank card about 7pm the night before the fire.

Mcalpine was arrested at Byron Bay Police Station on May 26 last year.

Defence Lawyer Vincent James Boss said Mcalpine abstained from drugs and alcohol since offending and suffered from poor mental health.

“She has previously attended counselling sessions … and has experienced domestic violence,” he told the court.

A police prosecutor said “there was a physical element of danger to the community” and neighbouring houses could have caught fire.

Byron Bay Police Station. Picture: Google
Byron Bay Police Station. Picture: Google

Mcalpine was on community correction order at the time of offending.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said the offending could have caused catastrophic damage.

“There was planning involved with the purchasing of the accelerant … there was a financial gain that was admitted to and received,” she said.

Ms Stafford said there was a strong need to prevent Mcalpine reoffending.

‘There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of insight or remorse and you seem to downplay your offending,” she said.

Magistrate Karen Stafford sentenced Mcalpine to a 12-month intensive corrections order and a supervised community corrections order.

Mcalpine was ordered to pay back $18,000 to the NRMA.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/ballina/police-courts/lennox-head-cleaner-rae-mcalpine-sentenced-after-torching-her-car-for-18900-insurance-payout/news-story/bf8951b41789920d0e1fd9eaa1a087ee