Graham Clancy: Tenterfield man pleads guilty to setting former in-law’s Grafton home on fire

A veteran was caught red handed trying to set fire to the Grafton home of the 80-year-old parents of his former partner. Find out how he was caught.

Grafton Local Court. Picture: Adam Hourigan.

A veteran, who became “abusive and violent” after his relationship with his former partner broke down, tried to set fire to his ex-partner’s 80-year-old parents’ home, a court has heard.

Tenterfield man Graham Clancy, 57, who is currently residing at Runcorn, Queensland, fronted Grafton Local Court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to damaging a property by fire, damaging a property by fire with the intent to injure and contravening an apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO).

At the time of these offences he was already on multiple two year community corrections orders (CCO) for charges of intimidation and breaching ADVO restrictions, receiving convictions for these offences between 2021 and this year, according to court documents.

The court heard Clancy became “abusive and violent” following the breakdown of his relationship in 2020.

Graham Clancy leaving Grafton Local Court.

“In December 2021, a fire started on the back patio of the victim’s residence which burnt the back of the home and occasioned over $46,000 in damages,” police facts state.

However, police never found the culprit and there is no suggestion Clancy lit that fire.

But the blaze made the 80-year-old Grafton couple decide to set up a CCTV system at their home.

This system captured Clancy, on July 5, attending their home and using a cigarette lighter to set fire to plants, according to court documents.

When this did not work, Clancy “walked inside the yard … and into the undercover patio area at the rear of the house,” police facts state.

Here, he used the lighter to set three wicker chairs on fire.

When the male victim received a notification from his CCTV application, he immediately noticed the flames.

“He opened the back door … (and Clancy) ran from the yard while (he) called his wife to get water and they extinguished the chairs,” police facts state.

Police soon found Clancy “hiding out” at his father’s house at South Grafton and were forced to push open the front door when he did not respond to the officers’ attempts to contact him, the court heard.

Graham Clancy.

In court, defence lawyer Anne-Alece Johnstone said her client was on multiple court orders at the time of the offence, but was currently on bail to live in Queensland.

She also told the court Clancy had served in the Australian Defence Force and was living with longstanding mental health issues.

Magistrate Juliana Crofts ordered a fresh three year ADVO to protect the victims.

The case was adjourned for a sentencing assessment report to be prepared as well as a psychological assessment.

Clancy is due to return to the court for sentencing on October 4.