Alleged Canberra firebug Luke Thoroughgood, 20, to apply for bail after Facebook threats
An alleged firebug charged over a grass fire in Canberra over the weekend could be released from jail and sent interstate after a series of online death threats.
Canberra Star
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An alleged firebug charged with lighting a grassfire near Government House in Canberra should be given bail to go to rehab interstate because of online threats he has received since being charged, a court has heard.
Luke Grey Thoroughgood, 20, briefly fronted the ACT Magistrates Court for the second time on Tuesday charged with lighting a fire during a total fire ban.
Thoroughgood’s lawyer, Michael Kukulies-Smith, entered a plea of not guilty on Thoroughgood’s behalf and said his client would be applying for bail so he could go to rehab interstate.
Mr Kukulies-Smith said comments left on Facebook in response to news articles, and on Thoroughgood’s own Facebook page, included threats to his client’s physical safety.
“One of the proposals is that the rehabilitation centre is out of the jurisdiction,” Mr Kukulies-Smith said.
“His person is threatened if he remains in the ACT.”
The comments directed towards Thoroughgood include calling him a “putrid dog” and threatening to burn him alive.
Another of the comments said: “I hope you get what you deserve you absolute f*cking gronk you’re lucky I didn’t see you doing it I would’ve run you over”.
Yet another said: “There will be a line up of people wanting to kick his head in.”
Thoroughgood was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning near the grassfire in Deakin.
Crews were able to extinguish the blaze quickly.
There was no damage to any property, and Thoroughgood has since undergone a court-ordered mental health assessment.
If found guilty, Thoroughgood faces up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $32,000.