Matthew Joyce sentenced in Coffs court for Corindi boarding house fire

Court documents have revealed the terrifying, chaotic scenes in the lead up to a blaze that destroyed a boarding house for berry pickers earlier this year.

The man responsible for a blaze that tore through a boarding house for berry pickers north of Coffs Harbour has been sentenced.

Matthew Raymond Joyce moved to the area to pick berries and took a room at the boarding house in Eileen Drive, Corindi about two weeks before the fire.

Court documents reveal the father of three (a three-year-old and twins who were born not long after the incident) has a criminal history and a troubled past.

The 32-year-old has ties to the Mudgee area but had moved to the Coffs Coast to take up berry picking work.

On the evening of the fire on January 18 he had been at a nearby pub and when he returned to the boarding house he could be heard screaming and yelling obscenities, according to court documents.

The two-storey boarding house accommodates 15 people in about seven bedrooms; several with bunk beds and the owner does not live there.

Matthew Raymond Joyce is spoken to by police on the night of the fire at a Corindi Beach home. Picture: Frank Redward.

Loud banging and smashing was also heard coming from his room on the first floor.

When fellow residents went to see what was happening they saw smoke coming from the area outside his room and by around 9.10pm neighbours reported seeing smoke and a ‘red glow’ coming from inside his room.

Joyce was seen running from the house screaming and by 9.30pm NSW Fire and Rescue firefighters had arrived and found him at the back of the home in an agitated state.

Joyce tried to go back into the burning house but when a firefighter tried to stop him Joyce turned and punched the fireman, hitting him on his helmet.

Emergency services on scene at the Eileen Drive, Corindi Beach, house fire on Tuesday, January 18. Picture: Frank Redward.

He had to be restrained and removed before firefighters could begin searching for other residents and begin extinguishing the blaze outside his room.

When they forced the locked door of Joyce’s room they found a second fire in the corner.

According to court documents Joyce was ‘argumentative, irrational and agitated’ and at one point attempted to return to the burning house but had to be restrained by police.

In the days following the fire police returned to investigate and found holes in the wall of his room and structural damage from the fire reaching into the roof and extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building.

Matthew Raymond Joyce is spoken to by police on the night of the fire at a Corindi Beach home. Picture: Frank Redward.

Damage to the home is estimated to be between $40,000 and $50,000.

Joyce was remanded in custody following the fire and later pleaded guilty to several charges in relation to the incident:

- Destroy or damage property (in excess of $2000 and less than $5000)

- Damage property by fire/explosive (in excess of $15000)

- Common assault

- Hinder etc member Fire and Rescue NSW in exercise of function

He was sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 22 months starting from the date of the fire and ending on November 17, 2023 with a non-parole period of 12 months.

Joyce will be eligible for parole on January 17, 2023.