Toowoomba teen cops probation for lighting grass fire in forest

The then 18-year-old and his 19-year-old accomplice were caught on CCTV buying a jerry can of fuel with which they started the fire.

Fortunately, the volunteer Rural Fire Service crew was able to extinguish the fire quickly.

A TEENAGER who set fire to grass in a state forest near Geham just months after bushfires had ravaged the area has been sentenced to a two-year probation order.

Jeremy Daniel Doolan, 19, was linked to the forest fire after leaving behind at the scene a jerry can on which his fingerprints were found, Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told Toowoomba District Court.

Police investigations led to CCTV footage from a 7-Eleven service station which showed Doolan and co-offender William John Kevin Horrigan, 19, obtaining the jerry can, she said.

When spoken to by police, Doolan had initially told a “fanciful” story of having given a lift to a man who went onto light the fire.

However, Horrigan had given a more truthful account after which Doolan had come clean, she said.

Fortunately, a volunteer rural fire service unit responding to a call and quickly doused the blaze which by then had burnt a 50m by 40m area, Ms Petrie said.

Horrigan had been placed on 18 months probation with no conviction recorded when he was sentenced by the same court in November last year.

Doolan pleaded guilty to wilfully setting fire to vegetation.

His barrister Daniel Boddice told the court the teenager had endured a “tumultuous” childhood which included homelessness at times.

Doolan had a child with his then partner at 17 but at the time of this offending the relationship had broken down and he had little access to his child and started drinking heavily.

“He was drunk at the time of this,” Mr Boddice said.

He said his client was remorseful and had written a letter of apology to the court.

He said Doolan had been doing work experience on a farm tree lopping and he was hoping to obtain employment there.

Judge Katherine McGuinness said she took into account Doolan’s youth and plea of guilty and ordered the conviction not be recorded.