Mt Coolum arson: Mitchell Cooney charged over Nirvana Luxor fire

A West Australian tourist with a “firebug” faced Maroochydore court charged with arson following a fire that caused the evacuation of a Sunshine Coast holiday complex.

A West Australian tourist will face a Maroochydore court charged with arson following a fire in a grass thatched roof that caused the evacuation of a holiday complex.

A tourist has had his stay extended after he was denied bail over an alleged arson at a beachside unit complex which triggered an evacuation.

Emergency services were called to the Nirvana Luxor complex on the corner of Tanah St East and David Low Way in Mt Coolum about 10.45pm on July 26.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said a grass thatched roof of a gazebo was on fire when they arrived and firefighters extinguished it just after 11pm.

He said the fire caused an evacuation of the complex.

Mitchell Cooney, 56, appeared on video in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on July 27 charged with one count of arson to a structure.

No pleas were entered.

Prosecutor James Allen said a fire was lit at the pool area of a resort and the brand new hut was constructed of a material which was “difficult to have been lit”.

“He admitted the fire was caused by him although he has provided a version that is obviously not accepted, that he didn’t do it deliberately,” Mr Allen said.

CCTV footage had captured the alleged incident and a cigarette lighter was found on Mr Cooney when he was arrested, the court heard.

Mr Cooney had been visiting from Western Australia and has a ticket for his return trip, making him a flight risk, Mr Allen said.

The court heard Mr Cooney had interstate criminal matters and Mr Allen said he had a “propensity to burn items with a lighter.”

Duty lawyer Michael Robertson told the court Mr Cooney never failed to appear in court previously and alcohol consumption may underpin his offending.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said Mr Cooney had a “tendency to light things up” and refused his bail.

“I’ve written ‘firebug’ down on the bench charge sheet in front of me,” Mr Stjernqvist said.

Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said there was “a suggestion he was disgruntled about something in the lead-up to the incident,”.

A man has been charged with arson following a fire at the Nirvana Luxor on July 26.

The detective said the man was staying with friends at the complex and the structure that was damaged was a Balinese hut-inspired gazebo.

Magistrate Stjernqvist refused Mr Cooney’s bail and adjourned the matter to November 17 for committal mention.

Originally published as Mt Coolum arson: Mitchell Cooney charged over Nirvana Luxor fire