Jemma Carberry granted bail after allegedly setting car on fire in Nimbin

A mother of five has applied for bail after police allege she set a car on fire while its owner attended an annual women’s dinner in northern NSW. Here’s what happened in court.

Cullen St, Nimbin, where the alleged offences occurred. Picture: File

A Nimbin mother of five was wearing a “unique dress” when she allegedly set a car on fire while its owner attended an annual women’s dinner in the northern NSW town, a court has heard.

Jemma Carberry, 34, was granted bail on Tuesday, when she told Lismore Local Court she had cancer and described her life as “really shit”.

While Carberry has pleaded not guilty to intentionally damaging property by fire and damaging property, she has admitted failing to appear while previously on bail last September.

Court documents state the car owner was attending the annual Nimbin Women’s Dinner at the Nimbin Town Hall on March 7 last year, when Carberry allegedly crept up to her vehicle, which was parked on Cullen St.

Police claim CCTV footage captured Carberry wearing a “unique dress” and crouching behind the Mitsubishi Lancer VRX about 10.30pm.

Jemma Carberry was allegedly captured on Nimbin CCTV footage. Picture: File

Court documents state Carberry allegedly tried unsuccessfully to set the car’s back bumper on fire for a few minutes before moving to the passenger side, where a small blaze ignited.

According to police, the mother of five then swiftly walked across the road and watched the car burn while a passerby dialled triple-0.

Bystanders extinguished the blaze using a nearby fire hydrant before emergency services arrived.

Police checked CCTV footage and found Carberry, who denied any involvement, nearby.

On Tuesday, having been remanded in custody after her previous failure to appear, Carberry applied for release and said she wanted magistrate Michael Dakin to know her life was currently “really shit” as she begged for another chance on bail.

“I’m really not well, sir, eh,” she said.

The Lismore courthouse, where Jemma Carberry appeared. Picture: File

On the stand, Carberry said she had recently been diagnosed with cervical cancer and would need to go to Brisbane for treatment.

“I’ve had a lot of stuff go wrong,” she said.

“I don’t have many chances in life. I don’t want to go to prison.”

Carberry added that she had previously “lied” about her stage of cancer.

Police prosecutor Brett Gradisnik opposed the release application, saying Carberry was unlikely to follow bail conditions because she had previously breached them.

But Mr Dakin granted bail, saying while the court had not received evidence of a diagnosis from a medical practitioner, there was an “indication of disease”.