Old Parliament House fire: Accused arsonist Nicholas Malcolm Reed named after suppression lifted

The man charged with lighting a blaze at Old Parliament House was back in court today due to a bail mistake made within 11 minutes of leaving custody.

A man charged with deliberately setting fire to Old Parliament House breached his bail 11 minutes after being released, but was allowed to walk out of custody a second time due to it being a “misunderstanding”.

The 30-year-old Victorian man’s identity can also now be revealed as Nicholas Malcolm Reed after a suppression order on his name was lifted in the ACT Magistrates Court.

It had been granted during Mr Reed’s first appearance on Tuesday where it was heard he had shaved his beard off out of fear of “retribution”.

In varying the suppression, Magistrate Peter Morrison said that there was no evidence “whatsoever” of any actual threat being directed towards Mr Reed that outweighed the principle of open justice.

He noted that democracy enthusiasts who may be upset by what happened to Old Parliament House did not tend to be “fanatical” in their beliefs.

“The property is not a church or a mosque or synagogue or a memorial to servicemen or women,” he said.

Nicholas Malcolm Reed was released from custody for the second time in two days. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“It is a venue which perhaps excites some interest because it is a heritage building and also because it’s seen as having been the seat of democracy.

“Although I must say persons who are enthusiasts of those subjects, it seems to me, aren’t usually identified as being fanatical in their enthusiasm.”

Mr Reed walked out of custody a second time on Wednesday wearing a black hoodie and face mask, refusing to speak to waiting media.

Police facts tendered to court state that he had been released from custody at 3.58pm on Tuesday after being granted bail before being stopped at 4.09pm in the passenger seat of a white Hyundai Accent in the suburb of Parkes.

This was in breach of a condition that he not enter Parkes or go to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, located in the suburb, without being accompanied by a police officer.

“Inquiries with ACT Policing Operations confirmed that the defendant had not made any attempts to organise the company of Australian Federal Police officers to collect his personal belongings from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy before entering the suburb of Parkes in the ACT,” police facts state.

Nicholas Malcolm Reed can be named as the man charged with damaging the nearly 100-year-old building. Picture: @ShaneMcInnes

His lawyer Sam McLaughlin told the court Mr Reed had misunderstood this condition and thought he was allowed to attend the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on one occasion to pick up belongings.

Magistrate Morrison accepted this and said he would continue his bail.

“In the circumstances I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt and accept there was a misunderstanding... the breach is not a particularly serious one,” he said.

Nicholas Malcolm Reed did not answer questions outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Police facts state that when Mr Reed was taken back into custody on Tuesday he allegedly refused to provide his name or answer any questions during the intake process.

Mr Reed is accused of carrying “hot coals” to the front of Old Parliament House and was captured in social media footage “stoking” the fire, the court has previously heard.

It also heard Mr Reed has a pending legal matter in Victoria where he is accused of remaining in a restricted area and this also seemed to be “motivated by political protest”.

An ambassador from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy said that Mr Reed was not associated with them and would have been part of a different camp that had set up there.

“We’re not aligned with one another, we’re all about diplomacy and respect,” he said.

His matter will next return to court on February 1.