Jarod Fenech: Nambucca state forest fire bug in Coffs court

A man who started a fire in a Mid-North Coast forest in the company of another arsonist, has fronted court with the magistrate warning jail time could be on the cards.

An arsonist who triggered a blaze in a State Forest on the Mid-North Coast in the company of another young man has been warned he may face jail time.

Jarod Fenech has pleaded guilty to starting a fire in the Nambucca State Forest at Nambucca Heads about 4.45pm on Sunday, January 7 last year.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) attended and extinguished the blaze, which burnt about 70 square metres of bushland, a police statement outlined at the time.

Mid-North Coast police began inquiries before the case was taken over by Financial Crimes Squad’s Arson Unit under Strike Force Tronto.

Detectives arrested Mr Fenech, 23 at the time, at Macksville just after 10am on the Tuesday following the fire.

Arsonist Jarod Fenech leaves Coffs Harbour Local Court on March 31, 2025.

Co-accused Tim Leigh, 26, was arrested in Nambucca Heads two days later.

They were both charged with intentionally causing a fire and being reckless as to its spread.

Men were arrested in Kempsey and Nambucca following the investigation into a deliberately lit bushfire in Nambucca in January, 2024.

Leigh was dealt with in Coffs Harbour Local Court on January 22 this year and was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order and to be supervised by a Community Corrections Officer at the Kempsey office.

Fenech appeared in the same court on Monday and his lawyer Hugo Schleiger asked that his client be dealt with in a similar way.

But Magistrate Julia Virgo said “I can’t be satisfied this hasn’t crossed the (jail time) threshold”.

She told Mr Schleiger that “if you are relying on parity with the co-accused” she would require a sentence assessment report.

Two men were arrested in Kempsey and Nambucca days after the deliberately lit bushfire in the state’s north in January, 2024.

The matter was adjourned to May 21 and Fenech’s bail, which involves reporting to police twice a week, was continued.

Deliberately or recklessly igniting bushfires can attract harsh penalties, including up to 25 years imprisonment should someone lose their life.

Charges can include damaging property with the intention of endangering life and potentially manslaughter, police warn.

Other charges and their penalties include:

• Starting a bushfire and being reckless as to its spread – up to 21 years in prison.

• Lighting a fire when a total fire ban is in place – up to 12 months in prison and/or a $5500 fine.

• Not putting out a fire that you have lit – up to 12 months in prison and/or a $5500 fine.

• Failing to comply with a bushfire hazard reduction notice – up to 12 months in prison and/or a $5500 fine.

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