Tammilee Sinclair set fire to car parked outside Millmerran Police Station, Toowoomba District Court told

A mother of four poured fuel over and set fire to a Nissan Navara parked outside a police station, then tried to get a friend to change her witness statement to get bail. See why here.

A 27-year-old mother of four who torched a car outside the Millmerran police station and then tried to get a friend to change her witness statement about it has been jailed for two years.

Tammilee Sinclair had a falling out with a friend and on May 15, 2022, saw that her friend had been driving a 2017 Nissan Navara which she parked outside the Millmerran Police Station, Toowoomba District Court was told.

Sinclair later told another friend she had filled a plastic bottle with fuel which she tipped onto the vehicle about 10.30pm that night and, using her shirt on which she had spilt some fuel, threw the lit shirt onto the car which burst into flames, Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told the court.

The Nissan Navara worth $16,000, which belonged to the mother of Sinclair’s friend, had been written off but was covered by insurance; however the vehicle’s owner had spent about $10,000 on extras, Ms Coley said.

Even though Sinclair had made admissions to torching the vehicle, she later asked a friend to change her witness statement to police so that she stood a better chance of obtaining bail, Ms Coley said.

Millmerran Police Station

That friend immediately told police and Sinclair was charged with attempting to pervert justice and was taken back into custody.

Sinclair had spent a total of 190 days, or just over six months, in pre-sentence custody before pleading guilty on Tuesday to arson of a motor vehicle and attempting to pervert justice.

Her barrister Wes Seewald told the court his client had always accepted responsibility for the arson and entered early pleas of guilty.

Sinclair had endured a difficult childhood and been exposed to domestic violence by her father on her mother and she had lived on the streets from age 14.

She had been using ice but since in custody had been clean and was working as a cook in the prison kitchen, he said.

His client hoped upon release to return to live in Toowoomba and get a job as an apprenticeship chef and hopefully re-engage with her four children who were in the care of various family members, he said.

Judge Paul Smith sentenced Sinclair to two years in jail but, declaring the 190 days presentence custody as time already served, ordered she be released on parole as of Tuesday, March 14 after she has outstanding, unrelated matters dealt with in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.