Fadi Zraika: Guildford’s Bright Park firebug sentenced
The lawyer of a teen who set off fireworks in a Sydney park while catastrophic bushfires raged through NSW explains why he shouldn’t “have the book thrown at him”.
Parramatta
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The lawyer of western Sydney teen Fadi Zraika — one of two firebugs who sparked a grassfire at a Guildford park while bushfires decimated NSW — has told the court he “shouldn’t have the book thrown at him”.
Police allege Zraika and his distant relative Abraham Zreika, both 18 at the time, set off fireworks that sparked a grass fire at Bright Park on December 22.
Zrieka used a cigarette lighter to spark the fire at 2.40pm, causing several small grassfires fanned by wind that the Rural Fire Service had to douse.
The Villawood 19-year-old faced Parramatta Local Court for sentence on Wednesday after pleading guilty to negligently handling explosives to cause damage.
A charge of failing to disclose the identity of a driver was withdrawn.
Zraika made headlines in January after a court appearance when he laughed when the media asked his questions before filming reporters outside court.
On Wednesday, his lawyer told the court Zraika was the main breadwinner in his family and financially helped his single father and three younger siblings.
“He doesn’t need the book thrown at him. He’s an offender that’s before the court has learned a lesson,’’ he said.
He conceded the fires engulfed the state when the grassfire was lit.
“Unfortunately it’s a young man of our community that didn’t take heed of what was going on.’’
But the prosecution told the court a conviction was needed.
“Members of our community were suffering terribly under those fires and the restrictions reflected that context,’’ Rebekah Jung said.
“A non-conviction order would be insufficient. The community would wish for these offences to be denounced.’’
Magistrate Tim Keady told Zraika he was young but old enough to function as an adult.
“This was a decision that required some contemplation,’’ he said.
“He drove himself to a particular location. He didn’t say why he did it.”
Zraika was convicted and fined $500.
His co-accused relative, Zreika, was convicted of negligently handling explosives to cause property damage, being a passenger not disclosing driver’s/other passenger’s identity and having a custody of a knife in a public place. He was fined $1500.