Thomastown crophouse fire: Fory Mau accused of growing cannabis
A young family was allegedly living in a Thomastown crop house that was gutted by fire on Monday night. And the mother has made some rather starting excuses in court.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Young children were allegedly living inside a Thomastown crop house that was engulfed in fire on Monday because of an electrical fault in the extensive drug-growing set-up inside.
Firefighters discovered a huge cannabis crop in the double-storey home where police had only seized 92 cannabis plants from in October.
Fory Mau, who rents the property with her partner, fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court facing charges of cultivating cannabis and breaching a bail order on Thursday, June 11.
The court heard police believed at least one person was in the house, which is on the corner of Kingsway Drive and Edgars Rd, when it went up in flames about 6.30pm on Monday, June 8.
But firefighters arrived to find just two dogs at the property, before they extinguished the blaze, which left the house extensively damaged and needing to be demolished.
The court heard when police searched the house they discovered the entire upstairs — including four bedrooms — had been used to grow about 60 cannabis plants, which were all badly burnt.
Police also allegedly found 96 cannabis plants in an annex on the ground floor, which was untouched by fire.
The court heard police believed the downstairs of the house was lived in, with an unmade double bed and bunk bed in the living room, as well as women and children’s clothes and toys littered about.
Mau’s lawyer argued her client and two children, aged five and eight, had not been living in the house for some months, with Mau renting another Thomastown property.
But police found Mau’s driver’s licence, other personal documents and clothes in the house.
A neighbour allegedly reported seeing a woman and two children matching their description at the house on the weekend.
Mau’s lawyer said Mau didn’t know about the crop, with a condition of renting the property being that she never go upstairs.
Yet police disagreed she couldn’t have known what was going on in the house, saying there was some very odd wiring visible in the garage.
Mau, who was on bail after being charged with cultivating cannabis when police allegedly found the first crop in the house on October 9, was required to show exceptional circumstances that should lead to her being bailed again.
The court heard police believed the 43-year-old was at risk of endangering the safety and welfare of others and of committing further offences.
MORE: WHY POLICE SAY NOTHING CAN STOP THIS ALLEGED DRUG DEALER
WHAT COPS FOUND IN 100-VISITOR-A-DAY HOUSE
WOMAN ALLEGEDLY MADE CHILD FILM SEX ACTS
The prosecution said if many of the plants had not been burnt, she would be facing charges of cultivating a commercial quantity and trafficking a commercial quantity of cannabis.
But Magistrate Helen Murphy bailed Mau taking into significant consideration Mau’s children and very limited criminal history.