485-charge crook Andrew Powell jailed for setting fire to Ravenhall cell using foil from jam portions
A homeless man who committed crimes in Dandenong and Springvale lashed out while in jail, starting a fire in his cell. And you will never guess how he started the blaze.
South East
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A pyromaniac prisoner who set fire to his cell by rigging up jam portion foil lids to a power point has been jailed for eight months.
Andrew Gary Powell lit up his bedding while he was on remand for other crimes at Ravenhall Correctional Centre in May this year.
The fire frenzy caused smoke alarms to go off and prison wardens had to come rushing to save him and put the blaze out.
The 41-year-old’s reckless vandalism caused $12,000 worth of damage to cell bedding and scorched walls.
Powell, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson and a swag of other charges, including burglaries, criminal damage, thefts and bail breaches at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard at around 8am on May 9 this year a smoke alarm was triggered in Powell’s one-man cell.
When prison staff attended they found his bed completely alight and flames climbing the walls.
They quickly removed Powell from the room and put the blaze out with a fire extinguisher.
An investigation revealed he had used foil from the top of jam portions served in the canteen to short the electrical circuit and create sparks which set his mattress alight.
He was unable to be interviewed due to his mental state at the time.
Court documents reveal Powell also broke into shops across the southeast including Springvale and Dandenong and stole items such as drinks, chips, chocolate bars, lighters and cash.
He also nicked cigarettes from petrol stations and broke into multiple cars, taking coins and anything else of value.
His defence lawyer said Powell had had mental health issues for a long period of time and was unwell when this offending occurred.
He said he had already spent 214 days on remand and when released he would be supervised by a mental health team.
Magistrate Suzette Dootjes said luckily the damage was limited to his cell.
“I need to balance a number of factors including the safety of the community,” Ms Dootjes said.
“There were also a number of burglaries on commercial premises, a number of incidents involving civilians in the community; it was prevalent and persistent offending.
“That is balanced with his significant mental health factors; his time in custody is more onerous than it is for the general prison population.”
Powell was jailed for a total of eight months, minus the time he has already served.
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