Jarrod James: Alleged arsonist granted bail over Woy Woy Rd bushfire
A man who allegedly set fire to bushland at Kariong was “heavily intoxicated at the time” and was seen hanging around the area for three hours with a lighter on him, a court has heard.
Central Coast
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A man charged with lighting a bushfire at Woy Woy across the road from the Kariong Rural Fire Service (RFS) Fire Control Centre has been granted bail.
Jarrod Bradley James, of Woy Woy, was charged with intentionally starting a fire and being reckless as to its spread after fire crews were called to bushland off Woy Woy Rd about 3.30am on Saturday morning following reports of a fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze, which caused damage to about 150sq m of bushland.
Following inquiries at the scene, Brisbane Water Police arrested the 27-year-old man nearby.
He was taken to Gosford Police Station where he was refused bail and faced Newcastle Bail Court on Sunday, where he was formally refused bail to reappear at Gosford Local Court on Monday.
His Legal Aid solicitor told the court Mr James worked full-time as an industrial spray painter and was a father-of-two children who had recently separated from his partner which was “weighing heavily on him”.
He said Mr James could abide by strict bail conditions that he live with his grandmother, not enter any park or bushland, abstain from drugs and alcohol and not carry a lighter.
The police prosecutor opposed bail because of “concerns around his mental health”.
Magistrate Alex Mijovich said Mr James was seen in the area for three hours and had a lighter on him when he was arrested but no one saw him light the fire.
“By his own admission he was heavily intoxicated at the time,” Mr Mijovich said.
The magistrate granted Mr James bail on strict conditions to reappear on September 3.