Cherie Edna Solomon has been charged with arson after a Gracemere house fire on Monday night

Police allegations about Monday night’s Gracemere house fire were revealed during the alleged arsonist’s bail application – the woman was found in bushland two days later. Full details here.

The woman accused of deliberately lighting a fire which destroyed a Gracemere house had no criminal record, yet police have claimed she was a risk to the community in the way of lighting more fires.

Cherie Edna Solomon, 45, has been charged with arson over the William Close house fire on September 27.

During a bail application hearing in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon, police prosecutor Jennifer Leech said police alleged Ms Solomon used a jerry can to purposely light a fire which destroyed the house at 16 William Close and caused over $300,000 in damage “to people’s property who had provided her shelter”.

She said the police alleged facts involved the arson being premeditated.

Ms Leech said police also alleged Ms Solomon then avoided police for days which led to an extensive search and rescue operation involving the RACQ Capricorn Rescue helicopter.

The court heard Ms Solomon has bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and was alleged to be intoxicated at the time the fire was lit.

Ms Leech said police alleged Ms Solomon had not been compliant with her mental health medication, was at risk of failing to appear in court, surrender into custody and putting the community at risk by setting fires.

The allegations included Ms Solomon, who appeared in court uninjured and still wearing the same clothes she was reported wearing before going missing, being motivated to light the fire, having been evicted and wanting a dog removed from the property.

Defence lawyer Rebecca Winning said her client had witnessed her own father die by suicide by way of hanging himself when Ms Solomon was eight years old.

She said Ms Solomon, who had been working at Gracemere’s Woolworths supermarket and whose mental health concerns dated back to 2009, did not display pyromaniac tendencies.

Ms Winning said the fact Ms Solomon was missing for two days and located four kilometres away from the house was “more attributed” to her intoxication and mental state, rather than her trying to avoid police.

She pointed out Ms Solomon was a 45-year-old woman with no criminal record and no history of lighting fires.

“She had been non-compliant with her medication since June,” Ms Winning said.

Acting magistrate Ron Muirhead said he was concerned about the part in the mental health assessment that Ms Solomon reported being in a low mood and having chronic suicidal thoughts.

Ms Solomon’s behaviour in court concurred with the mental health report contents of a low mood as she sat clutching her torso or fidgeting, while her head was low most of the time.

Ms Winning said the incidents outlined in the mental health report occurred when Ms Solomon was away from family and was isolated.

Ms Solomon’s son, Lionel, offered to take his mother home with him to Beaudesert where there would be three family members who could help her attend mental health appointments and he believed her low mood could be attributed to Ms Solomon being away from family.

Mr Muirhead asked Lionel questions surrounding how the help would occur as Ms Solomon had a history of attending the first mental health appointment but did not attend follow-up appointments.

Lionel told the court there would be someone at home with Ms Solomon 24-hours a day as one worked nights, another worked days and a third was not employed.

He added Ms Solomon’s aunt lived 45 minutes to one hour away and was also willing to help.

Lionel added he was concerned his mother’s mental health would deteriorate further if she was remanded in custody.

Mr Muirhead granted bail with conditions including a curfew and Ms Solomon attend all mental health appointments as directed.

Ms Solomon had been taken into custody on Wednesday evening after being found in a gully that ran across J Pierce Road at Bouldercombe.

Police had appealed for assistance to help locate Ms Solomon, 45, who they stated was last seen at 5.30pm on Monday at the William Close, Gracemere home that went up in flames about 6.30pm Monday.

A William Close, Gracemere home was destroyed by fire on Monday, September 27, 2021.

A total of six crews attended on September 27 and the main fire was out by 7.20pm, with the last crews leaving at 9pm.

The fire was being treated as suspicious and police on Tuesday issued an appeal for any witnesses with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident.

Ms Solomon was reported missing from the Gracemere area after last being seen about 5.30pm on Monday at a William Close address.

The RACQ Capricorn Rescue team was called in to assist with the search for Ms Solomon and was on Wednesday afternoon in the Gracemere area conducting an aerial search.

#RACQ#Caprescue Rescue 300 currently in the gracemere area conducting a search for a missing person. pic.twitter.com/qmHKlnSR61

— RACQ CapRescue (@caprescue) September 29, 2021

Just after 4pm on Wednesday, police and search dogs attended J Pierce Road in Bouldercombe, which is more than 3km as the crow flies from William Close through bushland.

There, they located a woman who had reportedly spent two nights in bushland.

Police on J Pierce Road in Bouldercombe.

She was assessed at the scene by Queensland Ambulance Service paramedics. A QPS spokesman could not confirm that it was Ms Solomon.

A Morning Bulletin reporter who attended the scene reported multiple police units in the area including a forensic examination crew and search dogs.

Cherie Solomon has been charged with arson.

Originally published as Cherie Edna Solomon has been charged with arson after a Gracemere house fire on Monday night