Chad Musgrave pleads guilty to charges of deliberately lighting fires in Windale, Charlestown
The 34-year-old set fires to multiple mattresses, rubbish, skip bins and even cars across Windale and Charlestown in October, November last year. He pleaded guilty to seven charges on Wednesday.
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A Lake Macquarie firebug who admitted to police he “needed help” because he kept lighting fires, has pleaded guilty to seven charges in Newcastle Local Court.
Chad Joseph Musgrave, 34, from Windale set fires to multiple mattresses, rubbish, skip bins as well as several cars in October and November last year in the Lake Macquarie suburbs of Windale and Charlestown.
It was at a time when the Hunter region was experiencing hot temperatures and strong winds, with a total fire ban declared.
Musgrave also allegedly set fire to a Merran Ave home in Charlestown when the residents were home at the time, including a toddler, as well as the family car.
Musgrave appeared via video link where his solicitor Steffany Sneasby enter guilty pleas to six counts of damage property by fire and a charge of receive property-theft, serious indictable offence.
She also informed the court 11 charges, including damage to property by fire and fail to comply with a total fire ban, were to be withdrawn.
Musgrave also entered a plea of not guilty to damage property by fire with intent to injure, which will need to go to hearing.
All charges will stay in the local court and head back to Belmont on September 23.
On a previous occasion in court in July, Ms Sneasby said Musgrave had been involved in handing out pamphlets in the Windale area at the time of some of the fires.
She said, the 34-year-old admitted he needed help in relation to fires and videoing fires.