Brendan Piccini: NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer from Northern Rivers faces court
A teenager who has pleaded guilty to deliberately starting 10 blazes not long after the black summer bushfires was diagnosed at late age, the court heard.
Northern District Times
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A volunteer RFS firefighter who deliberately lit ten blazes was diagnosed with ADHD at a relatively late age, a court heard.
Brendan Piccini, 19, previously pleaded guilty to ten counts of intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread.
These charges relate to a series of fires in the Burringbar and Mooball areas, in NSW’s Northern Rivers region, between October 7 and November 3, 2020.
According to agreed police facts, Piccini had recently completed training with the Burringbar Rural Fire Brigade when he lit several grasslands on fire.
Piccini lit the fires with a cigarette lighter and piece of paper. After sparking each fire, Piccini would drive home and await a triple zero call.
No property or person was harmed by the fires Piccini lit, with emergency services responding quickly to each blaze.
Today, in Downing Centre District Court, Piccini’s defence barrister, Sophie Anderson, said each offence — when considered separately — did not necessitate a full time custodial sentence.
Ms Anderson said it was only the accumulation of offences, the “repetitive nature of it”, which could lead to a custodial sentence, but added there is “a very compelling and strong subjective case” for Piccini to avoid full time custody.
The court heard Piccini only started taking medication in December 2021 for ADHD because he was diagnosed at a relatively late age.
“He’s on a much more consistent path now that he’s having the therapeutic benefits of that medication,” Ms Anderson said.
The court also heard Piccini volunteers weekly and has recently been promoted in his work as a scaffolder.
Piccini was first arrested on November 4, 2020. His case was committed to the Lismore District Court on September 13, 2021.
Today Judge Dina Yehia SC reserved her judgment. Piccini remains on bail and will return to court for sentencing later this month.
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