Zac Taylor fronts court over firebombing of houses

A Melbourne dad was forced to flee his house with his children while his parents feared losing their property of 35 years following late night firebombings by a Cockatoo maniac.

The extent of damage to a garage and a Ford Ranger caused by arsonist Zac Taylor at this house in Harkness.

A Melbourne thug who confessed to his role in firebombing two houses forcing families with children to flee in the middle of the night has been jailed.

Zac Taylor, 35, of Cockatoo, fronted the County Court on Thursday when he was sentenced to a minimum of one year’ and four months’ jail after pleading guilty to two charges of arson.

He firebombed a garage in Harkness on June 16, 2024 and a house in Hoppers Crossing owned by an elderly couple 40 minutes later, in cahoots with alleged co-accused and friend Aaron DeJong.

Mr DeJong’s case is being dealt with in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

Chief County Court Judge Amanda Chambers said Taylor drove to Harkness from Point Cook on about 12.20am on June 16, 2024, retrieved a jerry can and lifted the garage door of a house.

The charred remains of this Ford Ranger parked in the garage of a Harkness home that Zac Taylor targeted.

Mr DeJong, who allegedly travelled with him to the house in Harkness, is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the garage roller door which ignited the jerry can.

A couple and their three children woke to the garage on fire, fled outside and called emergency services.

The garage and a Ford Ranger parked inside were extensively damaged.

Taylor then drove away to his next target at Hoppers Crossing about 12.50am. The house belonged to the grandparents of the three children from the earlier firebombing.

A woman woke up to the house alarm going off and saw flames at the front of the property. She woke her 76-year-old husband and both left the house and attempted to put the fire out with a hosepipe before firefighters arrived and brought it under control.

A modified jerry can police recovered from outside a Hoppers Crossing home that Zac Taylor firebombed.

Judge Chambers said although the homeowner in Harkness was thankful that no one was injured, the arson has left emotional and mental scars for him and his children.

“He receives psychological counselling and plans to sell the house where the family no longer feel safe,” she said.

His parents at Hoppers Crossing were terrified of losing their house of 35 years and were anxious of their safety, she said.

Taylor was arrested at his Cockatoo home on July 16, 2024 and a day later, he confessed his crime to a police operative in his cell.

He was sentenced to a maximum of 28 months’ imprisonment.