Milan Berber: Liverpool Council arson accused faces court
A court has heard how a witness to the devastating Liverpool Council arson attack of 2010 has allegedly identified the man who ‘struck the match’. Ten years on he has faced court with the witness alleging at least nine others were also involved.
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A man under the promise of indemnity from police has “identified” who he claims “struck the match” to start the devastating 2010 Liverpool Council Chamber fire, a court heard.
Cabramatta High School student Milan Berber, 29, appeared in court on Thursday on a charge of arson and aggravated break and enter after being allegedly identified two months ago.
He was granted bail on strict conditions whereby he must live at his parent’s Liverpool home.
The devastating blaze caused $27m of damage and left Liverpool Council without a home for many years.
The Supreme Court heard the case against Berber will include allegations his fingerprint was found on a council cash register – which was only allegedly verified as Berber’s in 2016.
He was then arrested after a man told police two months ago that Berber was the one who “who struck the match”, the statement tendered to court reveals.
The man, who has been given the promise of indemnity by police, said a number of people were involved in the arson and that he himself bought the petrol which was used as an accelerant.
He named another man as the “mastermind” and another as smashing the window to get into the building on Hoxton Park Rd.
In all, he named 10 people, the court heard, of which only Berber has so far been charged.
In analysing the strength of the prosecution case, Justice Stephen Campbell said an issue for the jury would be that the cash register was found some distance away from the scene.
He said there was also an issue with the “reliability” of the witness, who named Berber, who admits he was under the influence of drugs at the time, and subsequently.
But Justice Campbell conceded the Crown case was relatively strong.
In asking he be granted bail, Berber’s barrister Peter Kondich said there was “not a single statement” from the other witnesses or persons implicated.
“(It’s) not something that advances the strength of the Crown case … to any significant detail.”
On the night of the fire, an intruder alarm was tripped before the council chambers were engulfed in flames.
Eighty firefighters were needed to bring the fire under control.
The court heard Berber has accumulated a lengthy criminal record with the latest drug supply and firearm offences landing him time in jail in 2017.
He was on parole when he was charged for the current offences.
Part of the bail conditions were that Berber’s mother and sister both put up a $10,000 surety.