Daniel Crawford: Narellan RFS volunteer found guilty of lighting bushfires
Disgraced Rural Fire Service volunteer Daniel Crawford is facing significant time behind bars after being found guilty of deliberately lighting seven bushfires.
Macarthur
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A disgraced Rural Fire Service volunteer is facing significant time behind bars after being found guilty of deliberately lighting a string of bushfires in south west Sydney.
Daniel James Crawford intentionally started seven fires in the Macarthur region during the summer of 2017/18, Judge John Pickering ruled at the Downing Centre District Court on Friday.
Crawford, of Spring Farm, was found not guilty of starting a further three blazes by Judge Pickering.
In all he faced 10 counts of intentionally cause fire and be reckless as to its spread, and had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison and a standard non-parole period of five years.
A detention application to have Crawford immediately taken into custody was refused.
The Crown had alleged the 35-year-old lit fires in Elderslie, Spring Farm, Narellan Vale, Smeaton Grange and Menangle Park between September 2017 and January 2018.
The court heard Crawford would ignite the blazes before rushing back to his post at Narellan’s RFS station to await a call-out, or raise the alarm himself to triple-0 under a false name.
When suspicions were raised in early 2018 a tracking device was secretly attached to his car, which the court heard put him at the location where several fires had started.
Crawford was soon arrested and charged before being suspended from duties.
He remains on bail and will return to court for sentencing on August 21.