Kerry Lyn Falk jailed for arson and attempted fraud over Stanwell house fire

A ‘cunning’ Queensland business owner and mother of five has been jailed over a house fire she lit after doing a 10-hour round trip to Central Queensland and back.

Emergency services were called to a house fire off Sackville St, Stanwell.

A Brisbane-based hairdresser and business owner has been jailed over a house fire she lit after doing a 10-hour round trip to Central Queensland and back.

She lit the blaze herself after initially pleading with a friend over a five-month period to light it for her, and then asked the friend to lie to police.

Emergency services were called to a house fire off Sackville St on Chong Rd, Stanwell.

Kerry Lyn Falk, 50, pleaded guilty on October 5 in Rockhampton District Court to one count each of arson, attempted fraud over $100,000 and perverting the course of justice.

Judge Jeff Clarke chastised Falk during sentencing, telling her she placed neighbours’ properties at risk at a time when the region was very dry – five months after thousands of Gracemere and surrounding residents were forced to evacuate due to out of control bushfires.

“It had the potential to be a bushfire,” he said.

“To their credit, the firefighters were able to ensure a bushfire didn’t start.”

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said the Stanwell three-bedroom house destroyed in the blaze was owned by Falk’s then partner who had been off work due to a heart condition.

She said the couple were in financial stress and owed $192,000 on the mortgage which was behind in payments by $17,000 on top of an overdrawn credit card and savings account.

She said Falk, her partner and their daughter were living in a rental at Beachmere in the Moreton Bay region at the time, with most of their household belongings with them in the rental.

Ms O’Rourke said that in December 2018, after she took out insurance on the house, Falk contacted a woman on social media and repeatedly asked her to burn the house down, offering part of the insurance payout as incentive.

She said that after persistent attempts, the woman contacted police.

On May 29, 2019, Falk left Beachmere late in the afternoon, drove to the Central Queensland rural community on the outskirts of Rockhampton, lit three fires inside the house and drove back to Beachmere.

The house fire off Sackville St on Chong Rd, Stanwell.

The New Zealand-born mother-of-five only turned her mobile phone off while driving back, resulting in her phone pinging cell towers between Beachmere and Rockhampton on her way to the crime scene.

The Stanwell house was destroyed and Falk attempted to fraudulently obtain initially $249,000, with a further $15,000 for itemised household items added, from the insurance company.

Ms O’Rourke said some of items listed in the $15,000 claim were later found at Falk’s residence.

Falk told police she was in Beachmere at the time of the fire and then accused innocent people of arson.

Ms O’Rourke said Falk then left 10 voicemail messages on the other woman’s phone, asking her to lie to the police and say she had seen a man lurking around the property before the fire.

The Stanwell house was destroyed and Falk attempted to fraudulently obtain initially $249,000.

Falk was arrested and charged on December 10, 2019.

Since the fire, Falk has established two businesses operating out of the same complex in Caboolture – a hairdressing salon and a fast food outlet which are registered respectively under the names ‘Kerry’s Creative Cuts’ and ‘Pitstop Cafe’.

Judge Clarke asked how could she set up two businesses when in such a bad financial situation.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said Falk secured finance through ClearLoans.

She said Falk’s daughters and a family friend would run the businesses, while Falk was in prison, until a replacement hairdresser was found.

Ms Marsden said her client moved to Australia with her mother and stepfather when she was five years old.

She said Falk left school in Year 10 as she was failing and had few friends.

Ms Marsden said Falk had her first child at age 17, twins at 19, a fourth child at age 20 and had an 11-year-old child with her former partner who had the house mortgage in his name.

She said the youngest child would be looked after by her father while Falk was in prison.

Ms Marsden said Falk started working in hairdressing as an apprentice when she was 26, owning a salon in Mt Isa and managing salons in Townsville.

She said Falk was diagnosed with bipolar in 1992 and had a history of anxiety and depression, but no drug or alcohol issues.

Ms Marsden said with regards to the lead up to the arson offence, Falk “didn’t know how she got from one point to the next”.

“She was going to burn the house down and set herself on fire,” she said.

Falk had one prior entry on her criminal record – a $400 fine for stealing items from Bunnings in 2012.

Judge Clarke described Falk’s arson offending as “cunning, deceptive” and “guile” and “born out of greed”.

He sentenced her to five years prison, suspended after 20 months and operational for five years.

Originally published as Kerry Lyn Falk jailed for arson and attempted fraud over Stanwell house fire