Peter Tran pleads guilty to intentionally lighting fires at Mount Pritchard

A man who confessed to lighting seven fires, including a “potentially deadly” blaze behind a home, told police he was “depressed” during his crime spree.

Liverpool Local Court, where Peter Tran pleaded guilty on Wednesday.

A man who confessed to lighting seven fires in western Sydney, including a “potentially deadly” blaze behind a home, told police he was “depressed” during his crime spree.

Peter Tran, 38, pleaded guilty in Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday to intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread after he set alight seven locations in bushland around Joe Broad Park in Mt Pritchard, on September 10.

Agreed facts state three of the areas were “fully engulfed in flames” due to thick vegetation, while the blazes at the other four locations did not spread and only resulted in “small burnt patches on the grass”.

“One of the locations was the back of a property and could have potentially been deadly if it spread to the residence,” the facts state.

Joe Broad Park in Mount Pritchard. Picture: Google Maps

The facts state Tran was riding along the bicycle track in parklands, where he stopped next to bushes near the end of Condor Ave and lit the grass, “causing it to be engulfed in flames”.

The 38-year-old then set fire to a small patch of grass before stopping at a nearby soccer field and gathering branches in the dense bushland.

Tran then “lit up the collected leaves and branches, causing the grass and trees in the surrounding area to be ablaze”, the facts state.

He started four more fires, including one behind a fence which immediately caught fire before two witnesses stopped and extinguished the blaze.

“Without their interference, the fire could potentially (have) spread to the property, endangering the occupants and building,” the facts state.

Police arrested Tran after he attempted to flee the scene by throwing his bike into Cabramatta Creek.

Joe Broad Park in Mount Pritchard. Picture: Google Maps

“Tran initially denied lighting the fires however later changed his story and admitted to lighting one of the fires by accident,” the facts state.

“He said he lit a cigarette while playing with some leaves and somehow it caught alight.”

Police discovered a mini-butane burner, which they believe Tran used to light the fires, next to one of the burnt grass areas.

After further questioning, he later admitted lighting all the fires “because he was depressed”, the facts state.

However, Tran’s lawyer said his client denied having mental health issues and said this was corroborated by a Justice Health report tendered to the court.

Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim ultimately ordered a sentencing assessment report and adjourned the matter to January 29.

Six other charges of intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread were dismissed.