Dean Anderson: Tasmanian man with autism allegedly started fires after ‘disastrous’ Sydney move

A young man living with autism and depression was supposed to be under the protection of the state when he was moved across the country. Instead, he has ended up in court.

A Sydney lawyer has called out the “disastrous” management by NDIS of an autistic man in the state’s care after he was moved from Tasmania to Sydney, a city he has never known. Picture: Brenton Edwards

A Sydney lawyer has called out the “disastrous” management by NDIS of an autistic man in the state’s care after he twice allegedly set fire to his accommodation following his forced relocation to NSW.

Only five weeks after landing in the state, 25-year-old Dean Anderson found himself behind bars on remand on two charges of damaging property worth more than $15,000 by fire, a court heard.

Anderson, who is a ward of the state, is alleged to have set fire to two separate properties arranged for him by the NDIS, including a shared accommodation site in the Newcastle area on February 17.

The following day, police allege Anderson set fire to a second property – a granny flat in western Sydney – in the “brief period” shortly before midnight during which Anderson’s case worker was absent.

Appearing at Blacktown Local Court on Friday, solicitor Christian Hearn said Anderson had been working in Tasmania as a labourer only a few weeks prior, where he aspired to become a carpenter.

Blacktown Local Court

“What destabilised the situation was the decision – which Anderson has no real understanding of – to move him from Tasmania to Sydney, where he has no family or connections,” Mr Hearn said.

Anderson believed the transfer was because of a lack of suitable accommodation in Tasmania, but on arriving he was unable to access services or accommodation.

Despite placing calls to the NDIS, he was soon sleeping rough and was unable to access crucial, high-dose medications which managed his depression and anxiety.

“He fell apart while in Sydney,” Mr Hearn said. “After an incident on Bondi Beach, he was taken to St Vincent Hospital. After that, he was put into short term placements and given more regular medication.”

As recognition of the “disastrous” handling of Anderson’s case, the NDIS had transferred the 25-year-old’s case to autism specialist Apex days after the alleged offending, according to Mr Hearn.

In applying for Anderson’s release on Thursday, Mr Hearn argued Anderson now had a “framework of support”, including a 24-hour case worker specifically tailored to his needs.

On his release, he would reside in a granny flat in the Sydney area.

In response, the police prosecutor argued the risk posed by Anderson’s release was still too great despite the court hearing that he had no criminal history in NSW or Tasmania.

The prosecutor displayed video in court allegedly showing Anderson in the area when the fires began.

The court heard Anderson also admitted to police to being the person in the video, but not to starting the fires.

Magistrate Rami Attia said the background to Anderson’s alleged offending was “very sad”.

“Given the nature of the support being not all that dissimilar to what was available to Anderson before the alleged offending, I am not satisfied the risks have been addressed,” Mr Attia said.

Mr Attia told the court that with more information about Anderson’s future treatment and accommodation post-release, he – or another magistrate – would reconsider granting bail as it would constitute a “significant change in circumstance”.

Anderson will reappear before Blacktown Local Court when a new bail application is expected.