Keegan Pinch: Alleged arsonist behind bars after Warilla home gutted

A magistrate has told a Wollongong court that a Warilla blaze allegedly lit by a military veteran “could have killed people”. Find out what happened.

A Warilla man who allegedly set two properties on fire is being kept behind bars after he was arrested on Monday, with his brother detained on the same afternoon for completely unrelated offending.

Aiden Pinch, 33, and Keegan Pinch, 31, both applied for bail in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday with Magistrate Chris McRobert knocking the siblings back.

Younger brother Keegan was arrested following Lake Illawarra Police posting a plea on social media for his whereabouts due to an outstanding warrant.

Keegan has been charged with two counts of damaging property by fire, entering a dwelling with intent to commit a serious indictable offence and break and enter with the intent to commit a serious indictable offence.

Keegan, who the court heard uses methamphetamine in a vain attempt to overcome PTSD stemming from a decade in the military, allegedly walked into a block of units on King St, Warilla, at around 9.20am on Friday, August 19.

Keegan Pinch allegedly set two properties in Warilla on fire. Picture: Lake Illawarra Police

Documents tendered in court said Keegan entered a detached laundry before setting an unused washing machine alright, causing smoke damage to the walls and roof.

About half-an-hour later, Keegan allegedly went to an address on nearby Addison Lane where he jumped a locked gate, fuel can in tow, before crouching near the front door.

A male living at the address told police he confronted Keegan who he says dropped the can before fleeing the scene.

At 10.14am, however, police allege CCTV captured him at another address on King St where he placed items, including clothing, towels and blankets, underneath the premises.

Court documents state the security camera caught Keegan tipping a lawnmower on its side, emptying the fuel onto a blanket and placing it under the house.

Police allege Keegan then entered the house and rummaged through the residents’ clothes which he was seen wearing as he exited through a rear door just before midday.

The CCTV recorded Keegan allegedly setting the assortment of items on fire, right next to a hot water system, before fleeing with a blast blowing out the windows immediately captured thereafter.

The burnt-out home on King St, Warilla. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Emergency services arrived around five minutes after the blast with the house entirely engulfed in flames.

The house was completely gutted with the two residents’ property and personal belongings destroyed.

Keegan allegedly told the residents he was “gonna burn their house down” two weeks prior, however, they were unaware who he was and didn’t believe or give any thought to him destroying their home.

The court heard on Tuesday that Keegan regularly attended a psychiatrist and had previously admitted himself into the South Coast Private mental health hospital.

Magistrate McRobert told Keegan he was an “extreme risk to the community” and that he “could have killed people” before calling for a psychiatric assessment to be completed.

“It brings me sadness to say he seems like he is someone who has been damaged in life,” the magistrate said.

“But due to the interest of community safety I can’t grant bail today.”

The older Pinch sibling, Aiden, who works as a stonemason in Bankstown, was arrested while reporting for bail at Lake Illawarra Command on Monday evening.

Aiden Pinch allegedly stole some booze from Dan Murphy's Shellharbour. Picture: Facebook

Aiden was on bail following a string of alleged larceny-type offences, but that didn’t seem to perturb him with police pressing a further larceny charge.

The alleged theft occurred on Friday, August 5, when he entered Dan Murphy’s Shellharbour and pinched a three-pack of Carlton Draught and a 10-back of Wild Turkey.

Court documents stated CCTV footage caught the backpack-wearing Aiden walking behind a stack of beer cases in the coolroom with the Wild Turkeys before leaving.

The Wild Turkeys were nowhere to be found with police alleging he put them, and the Draughts in his backpack.

However, the court documents stated Aiden did purchase another case of grog before walking out of the store.

Magistrate McRobert said he was “mystified” by the allegations following previous admissions he had an alcohol problem which he was trying to address.

Aiden will next appear in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, September 6, while his younger brother will have his matter mentioned in the same court on Wednesday, August 31.