Tony Charles Graham, 53, charged over $12m arson attack on Lake Macquarie City Council chambers at Speers Point
Police allege peckish arsonists have been snapped on a pre-dawn McDonalds drive-thru run moments after they targeted one of the state’s largest council’s headquarters in a blaze which caused an estimated $12m in damage.
Newcastle
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Police have allegedly caught a group of arsonists on a pre-dawn McDonalds run just moments after targeting one of the state’s largest council’s headquarters in an attack which caused a damage bill of over $12m.
A court has heard that Strike Force Komiatum officers discovered security footage of the early breakfast involving alleged getaway driver Tony Charles Graham and two others in the drive-thru of the Warners Bay fast food restaurant as they hunted a utility over the alleged attack on Lake Macquarie City Council’s chambers at Speers Point in November last year.
Graham, 53, faced Maitland Local Court on Friday on a series of charges including destroying etc property in company using fire etc as well as gun and drug offences following his arrest during a raid on an East Maitland property a day earlier.
Together with a single-barrel long arm rifle allegedly found next to Graham’s bed and a substance believed to be methamphetamine, Strike Force Komiatum detectives also allegedly seized a dark grey LDV utility from the property for further forensic analysis.
A set of police facts, tendered to court on Friday as defence solicitor Matthew Unwin applied to have Graham released on bail, alleged that police had vision of Graham and the utility at a Hamilton service station less than an hour before the alleged attack as well as at the Warners Bay McDonalds afterwards.
The facts also alleged that police had CCTV of a grey LDV ute on Council St at Speers Point – about 150m from the council chambers – where two suspects were seen to leave the chambers after setting it alight and getting into the car.
Police will allege they have security camera footage depicting the ute travelling from Speers Point to the McDonalds, where Graham and the two suspects are seen in the car making their orders.
It is alleged that Graham had waited at the car as the two male suspects, one carrying a petrol can and the second a container, broke their way through a closed and locked automatic sliding glass door, before pouring an unknown liquid on the ground and on a service counter.
Investigators would allegedly discover eight ignition points, the facts said.
Using matches and a lighter, they allegedly sparked the blaze which would cause fire damage to parts of the building and smoke and water damage to more of it.
The building, the main headquarters for a large number of council staff, remains off limits and the facts sheet alleged the damage bill would exceed $12m.
Graham, who was also charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, not keeping a firearm safely, possessing ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority and possessing a prohibited drug, is the first person to be arrested over the alleged arson attack.
Mr Unwin’s release application was unsuccessful and Graham was formally refused bail and remanded in custody to reappear on January 30.
Strike Force Komiatum investigations were continuing.
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