Luke Dare gets into water fight with CFA firefighters called to his house over bin fire
CFA firefighters have had to put up with a lot over the summer. But it’s fair to say not many of them have attended a job where a boozed-up bozo has attacked them with a hose, resulting in a water fight with a high-pressure climax.
Outer East
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A man who started an impromptu water fight with CFA firefighters who were called to his house to put out a small bin fire has copped a spray from a magistrate.
Luke Dare, 33, of Lilydale, faced Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on March 18 where he pleaded guilty to assaulting three emergency services workers during the incident last July.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Les Hare told the court CFA members were called to a fire at the Clyde St property about 8.30pm on July 3 and when they arrived they found the contents of a green waste bin ablaze.
A Lilydale CFA member spoke to Dare, who was suspected of lighting the fire, and explained to him Yarra Ranges Council had temporarily banned the burning off of green waste and asked him to put out the fire.
Dare refused and instead swore at the CFA firey before grabbing a garden hose and blasting him with water in the face and chest, Sen-Constable Hare told the court.
He then dropped the hose and fled behind his neighbour’s fence, and when the firefighter tried to put out the fire using Dare’s hose, Dare popped up from behind the fence and sprayed the CFA member and his colleagues again using his neighbour’s hose, the court heard.
Sen-Constable Hare told the court the firefighter was forced to return fire by spraying Dare with his own hose until Dare stopped his onslaught.
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Dare’s defence lawyer told the court his client was drunk at the time of the offence but was now remorseful.
Magistrate Jan Maclean convicted and fined Dare $600 and told him assaults against emergency services workers would not be tolerated.
“They’re going to work like any other member of the community and they certainly don’t need to be involved in an incident like this,” Ms Maclean said.
“What’s clear here is you need to remain focused on your thinking before you act and making sure you’re not involved in incidents such as this.”