Peter Burgess threatens to relight house fire when out of jail: County Court

Acting on supposed instructions from the Comancheros, a 65-year-old vowed to be back “bigger and better” after setting fire to cars and a house.

Peter Burgess set fire to two cars and a house in one night in Melbourne.

A 65-year-old embarked upon a mission to torch cars and a house while its occupants slept, saying the Comancheroes told him to do so.

During a police interview, Peter Burgess told officers what he did was “just a down payment” and that he’d kill three individuals and himself after coming out of jail, the Melbourne County Court on Monday heard.

He pleaded guilty to a number of charges including threatening to kill, arson and damaging property with intent to endanger life.

Court documents show Burgess arrived outside a commercial premises in Brunswick about 12.15am in February 2022, deflated all four tyres of a car he mistakenly targeted and set the vehicle on fire.

Peter Burgess blamed the Comancheros for carrying out a spree of arson attacks on cars and a house.

Just over an hour later, he poured petrol over a Datsun car parked in a driveway in Black Rock and set it on fire.

He then set alight the front door of a house.

Occupants of the house rang emergency services and put the fire out using a garden hose.

A few hours later, a police officer arrived at Burgess’ house in Beaumaris and asked that he speak to the cops at the front door.

Burgess refused, saying the Comancheros were holding a gun on him.

The Critical Incident Response Team entered the house and arrested Burgess and brought to Moorabbin police station where he said: ““I may go to gaol for a long period of time, but when I come out, it’s going to be a hell of a lot worse than that”.

On setting fire to the car in Black Rock, Burgess said he would be back “bigger and better” and that his act was “just a down payment”.

Burgess said he had also planned to torch a Mitsubishi car but did not have enough petrol.

Once he got back home, Burgess said he sat outside with a beer and thought the sort of carnage he created and what the reactions of the house and car owners would be.

He admitted he was “mad as hell’ and did “crazy shit”.

Burgess will be sentenced on February 9.