Bailey Hobbs fronts court over firebombing of Sunshine West store

A man was offered $8k to firebomb a Sunshine West convenience store as part of the violent tobacco wars that erupted across Melbourne.

A meth addict who served as a “foot soldier” during Melbourne’s violent tobacco wars torched

a convenience store in return for $8000 to feed his raging drub habit.

Bailey Hobbs, 24, fronted the County Court on Monday for a plea hearing after having earlier pleading guilty to charges of arson, possession of a drug of dependence and handling stolen goods.

Hobbs, who the court heard had an intellectual disability, was among six people arrested across Melbourne in early 2024 in relation to a spate of firebombings of mostly commercial premises as part of the state’s tobacco wars.

He told a psychologist that he needed $8000 he was offered for the crime to feed his methamphetamine addiction.

A car was used to ram the front door of a tobacco shop that was firebombed in Altona as part of Melbourne’s tobacco war.

Prosecutor Jessica Hotchkin told the court that travelled to DB Convenience Store at Glengala Rd in Sunshine West just after 3am on January 12, 2024 and firebombed the premises

He was observed on CCTV pouring the contents of one of the jerry cans into the store before leaving.

He returned a few minutes later and threw an item he retrieved from the vehicle into the store while another person he was with put an ignited item into the store

Arson chemist John Kelleher said the cause of the fire was the ignition of combustible material in the store, assisted by the presence of petrol or a mixture of petrol and diesel.

Hobbs handed himself in at Melbourne West police station five days later.

Defence lawyer Sean Kelly described Hobbs’ role in Melbourne’s tobacco wars as that of a “foot soldier” who was offered $8000 to fund his use of ice.

This vehicle found burnt out at PA Burns Reserve in Altona is believed to have been used in the firebombing of mostly commercial premises.

He said damage to the building was minor and that the fire was lit in a commercial premises and at a time when people were not around.

Hobbs was remanded in custody for sentencing on May 27.

Ex-Finks bikie Stan Zanakas was sentenced in February to a minimum of two years for his role in the firebombings while Ben Valerio of Point Cook was jailed for a minimum of four years and four months on four charges of arson.