Craig Boland pleads guilty to setting Highland Drycleaners and Mittagong home on fire

Two weeks after a Sydney builder warned he would burn down his ex-partner’s business to “get her attention”, he acted out on the threat.

Craig Boland has pleaded guilty to setting fire to his ex's home and her business, a Southern Highlands dry cleaners.

A Sydney builder threatened to burn down his ex-girlfriend’s business to “get her attention” just two weeks before he set fire to her Southern Highlands business and home.

Craig Boland, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of damaging property by fire following two blazes at a Bowral business and a Mittagong home.

The victim, Lynda Alexander, had owned and operated Highlands Drycleaners at 417 Bong Bong Street, Bowral for 17 years.

Boland and Ms Alexander had recently separated, but he believed they were on a “hiatus” and continued to contact her.

Police facts state about 8pm on October 1 the victim received a voice message from Boland, and while she kept the recording, she did not report it.

Mittagong RFS attended a fire at a business on Bong Bong St in Bowral on October 15.

“I’m gonna go and burn your business down is that gonna get your attention,” Boland said in the recording. “I’ll go to the f**king shop right now answer me you f**king c**t.”

Two weeks later, on October 15, Boland drove to the victim’s home when he knew she was interstate so he could pick up some tools and mow her lawns.

Boland then drove into Bowral to meet a friend for drinks. He was later caught drink driving just after 9pm.

Police later released him and Boland went to Coles where CCTV showed him buying firelighters and matches before dropping the items near Highland Drycleaners and going to a pub to drink.

About 10:57pm, emergency services were notified of a structural fire at the dry cleaning business at 417 Bong Bong St, Bowral.

Attempts were made to extinguish the fire from the rear of the premises before Bowral Fire and Rescue gained entry through the front window.

Craig Boland.

About 11:30pm, the fire was extinguished and deemed suspicious, and the business was extensively damaged.

Then just a few hours later, at 3:40am, police were called to Ms Armstrong’s home at Mittagong and sighted large amounts of smoke and a pile of clothes on fire in the front bedroom with another fire in the rear bedroom.

The fire was extinguished, and the home was left severely damaged. Officers set up crime scenes at both locations.

Police arrested Boland two days later, and he admitted in an interview he had started the fires.

He told officers he accessed the key to the dry-cleaning business, and stole $150 while inside the shop.

Boland said he then walked to his ute that was parked where the police had picked him up for drink driving, and he drove to the victim’s home.

After throwing a brick through the laundry window and using a can of petrol to start fires, he drove to a hotel in Sydney and played poker machines before taking several tablets.

He felt unwell and presented to St Vincent’s Hospital, where officers arrested him.

He will return to court for sentencing next month.