Danial Sharpe jailed for arson in Mittagong after he set fire to caravan

A young man filmed himself setting a caravan alight in the Southern Highlands as payback to his girlfriend and then allegedly sent the footage to his mum.

A young arsonist has been jailed for setting fire to a caravan home in the Southern Highlands after his girlfriend chose to spend time with her friends instead of him.

Danial Sharpe, 26, appeared in Moss Vale Local Court via audiovisual link on Monday after pleading guilty to using fire to intentionally damage property worth more than $15,000 and taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug.

According to the agreed facts, Sharpe was living with his partner when they had an argument in the late hours of July 6. At around 1am, the facts state Sharpe’s partner left the house and went to Bowral Rd in Mittagong where her friend was living in a caravan. The two then drove to Lake Alexandra to sit and chat, according to the court documents.

Danial Joseph Sharpe has pleaded guilty to setting a caravan home on fire in Mittagong. Picture: Facebook

The police facts show Sharpe rang his partner incessantly and repeatedly threatened to burn down her friend’s caravan. At around 2.15am on July 7, Sharpe went to the caravan and entered the home to carry out his threats, the facts show.

According to court documents, he filmed himself using a butane lighter to set fire to a small object on the bed in the caravan, which caused the bed linen to catch on fire.

Fifteen minutes later, the facts show a neighbour was woken by noise coming from the caravan and saw the structure was ablaze and engulfed in flames. The neighbour called emergency services, who arrived soon after.

The fire was so intense it took NSW Fire and Rescue over an hour to extinguish the fire, which had completely destroyed the caravan and the motor vehicle. According to police facts, a fixed awning structure and a car parked in an adjoining carport were also severely damaged by the blaze.

Nearby houses were evacuated for fear the fire could spread to another dwelling.

“(T)he propensity for damage to further property including surrounding dwellings and to cause injury and/or death to human life was genuine,” the facts state.

Despite his initial denials of the offences, police facts show officers had seen the footage Sharpe filmed of himself starting the fire in the caravan, which he had allegedly sent to his mother. She is now before the court after pleading not guilty to hindering an investigation into a serious indictable offence and concealing a serious indictable offence.

Danial Sharpe was jailed at Moss Vale Local Court on December 7. Picture: Wesley Lonergan

His lawyer Fiona Kay said Sharpe decided to light the caravan on fire in a fit of jealousy.

“He was very upset his girlfriend had chosen to spend time with her friends and thought she was going to break up with him,” she said.

Sharpe also pleaded guilty to taking part in the supply of illicit drugs on April 27 while on parole. According to the police facts, Sharpe was heard arranging for a drug delivery to someone on bail. The facts show Sharpe facilitated an exchange of 0.2 grams of meth for $100 and a $20 taxi fare.

Ms Kay said Sharpe had a lengthy criminal record, which he attributed to “a poor upbringing”, mental health issues, and long-term drug use since the age of 16.

“He has a problem with impulse control,” she said.

“He unfortunately thinks of consequences after the event and not before.”

Magistrate Mark Douglass noted a cycle of drug abuse and incarceration was evident in Sharpe’s record. By taking part in the supply of drugs, he said Sharpe was contributing to “the harm that is founded in the supply and distribution of drugs”.

Sharpe was handed a 30-month community corrections order for the drug offence, but the court heard he would not escape jail time for the arson.

“It is premeditated, there was serious risk of harm, he considered doing it and carried on anyway and he was using it as a tool against another person,” Magistrate Douglass said.

“He did it to show them how angry he was and they will, of course, be fearful of him in the future.”

The magistrate emphasised the danger to a large number of innocent parties, from emergency services to neighbours. He ordered Sharpe pay $3443.40 in damages to the owner of the car incidentally destroyed by the blaze, while the cost of damage to the caravan will be recouped by insurance.

Magistrate Douglass sentenced Sharpe to 18 months imprisonment with a nine-month non-parole period, which was backdated to 26 August 2021 when Sharpe was taken into custody.