Craig Bantoft pleads guilty, Guy Finnegan sentenced over fire at Curly Lewis Brewing Bondi

Two men who set fire to a Bondi brewery asked whether the person they’d taken instructions from – who went by the covert name James Bond – had given them the wrong address. What followed was a series of explosive texts.

Police are investigating if Curly Lewis Brewing Co was targeted as mistaken identity. Picture:Google

Two men who set fire to a brewery in Sydney’s east were left wondering whether the person they’d taken instructions from – who went by the covert name James Bond – had given them the wrong address.
“Use [sic] f--ked the whole thing now, if use f--king couldn’t do it from the start then why did use even there for f--k me its not even 2 per cent burned f--k me dead,” an encrypted message from ‘Bond’ read.

Craig Bantoft, 37, faced Waverley Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to destroy/damage property in company – use fire.

His co-accused Guy Finnegan, 31, faced the same charge and was sentenced to 10 months jail at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Both men were arrested last year following investigations into a fire deliberately lit at Curly Lewis Brewing Co on October 17.

Craig Bantoft pleaded guilty over his involvement in the fire at Curly Lewis Brewing. Picture: Facebook

Finnegan and Bantoft started a fire at Curly Lewis Brewing Co, Bondi. Picture:Google

Kosher deli Jewish Lewis Continental Kitchen was set on fire days after the brewery. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The pair were seen pouring accelerant underneath the door of the Campbell Parade brewery just after 2am, before igniting the flames and fleeing.

The fire self-extinguished after a minute, however $65,000 worth of damage was caused to the door, ceilings and various electronic items.

Three days later on October 20, Lewis Continental Kitchen, a nearby Kosher delicatessen on Curlewis St, was set alight.

Two men aged 40 and 26 were charged this month over the kitchen fire and remain before the courts.

Neither Finnegan or Bantoft have been charged over the October 20 fire.

The pair had been communicating with a user on Signal.

Detectives have been investigating whether the brewery was collateral damage in a mix-up, with the Kosher deli being the intended target.

An agreed set of facts tendered to court revealed that the day after the brewery fire, Finnegan and Bantoft were questioning if they’d been given the wrong address.

Finnegan handed his phone to police after his arrest on October 18, with officers discovering a conversation between he and Bantoft.

The messages included in the fact sheet reveal Bantoft and Finnegan had been following directions from a user on the encrypted app Signal, going by the handle ‘jamesbond’.

Bantoft texted Finnegan: “Did you hear from James”.

Finnegan replied: “Yeah he reckons there’s no damage.”

Kosher deli Jewish Lewis Continental Kitchen was set on fire days after the brewery.

Finnegan then forwarded Bantoft a furious message he received from ‘jamesbond’, unleashing on the pair for the botched fire.

“Use [sic] f--ked the whole thing now, if use f--king couldn’t do it from the start then why did use even there for f--k me its not even 2 per cent burned f--k me dead,” the message read.

Finnegan then texted Bantoft: “Idk I’m not in the mood for his bulls — tbh, easy as he says, what a load of crap the lying dog, f--king bulls — mate.

“Hope that nothing comes from it with my car in the situation.”

Bantoft replied: “It won’t so is he paying cash or nah?”

Later in the same thread Finnegan texted: “Was it the right place, what was damaged.”

“I know there was no other possible way it could have been done and as for [it being an] easy job to do like he said what a load of shit so I can be bothered explaining myself to him, you and I know we done all that we could that’s all I care about.

“I’m starting to think he sent us to the wrong place lol”.

Bantoft was arrested on December 12 at Silverwater Correctional Centre where was being held on unrelated matters.

He will return to Waverley Local Court for sentence on March 5.

Finnegan was sentenced to 10 months jail on a charge of destroy/damage property in company – use fire, as part of an 18-month aggregate sentence including other offences such as assault, larceny and drug possession.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the sentence sent the “wrong message”. Picture: Nikki Short

NSW Premier Chris Minns told reporters the “wrong message” had been sent by only sentencing Finnegan to 10 months for his involvement.

“I mean the person who’s been charged with that offence, that carries a 10 year jail sentence and the individual has been handed a 10-month sentence,” he said.

The premier confirmed NSW Police were appealing the decision because “we need to set a strong and unambiguous message that you will face the full force of the law”.

“How else can we send a message to potential alleged offenders that this will not be tolerated,” Mr Minns said.