Connells Point fire: Elizabeth Butt charged with burning rental home
A southern Sydney woman has been charged with burning down her rental unit, allegedly causing damage worth $500,000 and leaving it uninhabitable.
St George Shire Standard
Don't miss out on the headlines from St George Shire Standard. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A southern Sydney woman has faced court charged with burning down her rental accommodation, allegedly leaving it uninhabitable and causing $500,000 damage.
Elizabeth Butt, 54, faced Parramatta Local Court charged with intentionally or recklessly damaging property by fire after emergency services attended a unit on Riverview Ave in Connells Point at 12.50pm on June 2.
In a statement NSW Police said St George officers and Fire and Rescue NSW found the unit well alight, and after the blaze was extinguished the unit reportedly sustained extensive damage.
Butt was further charged with assaulting a law officer and throwing a missile at a law officer after police allege she assaulted a sheriff who attended her property to execute a warrant to extract her from the rental due to unpaid rent.
At court, Magistrate Anthony Spence described the alleged circumstances as “bizarre”.
“It’s a very serious charge, to say the least,” Mr Spence said.
“I’m told by the prosecution the damage is about $500,000, and it seems to be that the house she was renting, which she allegedly burnt down, is damaged to the extent it would be totally uninhabitable.”
A Legal Aid solicitor told the court Butt had a lack of antecedence, and Mr Spence acknowledged that in many circumstances he would not be immediately inclined to refuse bail to someone with no or limited criminal history.
“Having said that, there are some offences that by themselves are so serious that serious consideration must be given to refusing bail,” Mr Spence said.
“The behaviour is bizarre, to say the least – I’m not sure if the alleged victim is insured for that, but obviously it would be expensive to remediate.”
Mr Spence refused bail on the basis of the seriousness of the alleged offending but said if the circumstances were to evolve, Butt could apply for bail again in the future.
The matter has been referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for possible election to the District Court and Butt will next face Sutherland Local Court on June 8.
Pain game! Stairway to rugby dream for Waratahs young gun
It’s a time he hated with a passion but this painful interlude in Waratahs young gun Henry O’Donnell’s life could well pave the way to his future success in the game. Tahs v Brumbies squads
Read more
‘Inability to withstand load’: Defects uncovered at unit block
A failure to properly build a development in Sydney's south has led the state’s building watchdog to issue urgent repairs on the apartments before they are occupied.
Read more