Nicole Gail Beaton sentenced after starting Willaston bushfire to escape from meth-induced snake psychosis

A methed-up ex-junior sports star with cancer started a bushfire when he hallucinated a brown snake in a reserve on a hot day and tried to burn it to death.

A former junior sports star who was on a meth trip when he set fire to an imaginary brown snake in a Willaston reserve on a bushfire danger day has been jailed over the ensuing blaze.

In a frantic attempt to escape the imagined threat, Nicole Gail Beaton, 43, ignited a blaze within Conlea Park – leading to a “significant” number of CFS and MFS resources.

During sentencing in the District Court this month, Judge Anthony Allen said Beaton, who pleaded guilty to causing the 5000 sqm fire, was suffering from a “psychotic episode” detaching him from reality.

“Whilst under the influence of methylamphetamine, you felt threatened by a brown snake and set fire to what you believed to be a brown snake,” Judge Allen said. “On all of the evidence, it is apparent that in reality there was no such brown snake.

“Multiple appliances attended and a number of aerial bombers were also put to use. The fire started at about 5.45pm on a total fire ban day. The temperature was still in excess of 30 degrees at the time the fire started.

CFS and MFS crews attended the fire in 2021. Picture: File

“This was an extremely dangerous day for a bushfire to be burning and, quite frankly, it is somewhat miraculous that significantly more damage was not caused, particularly to structures and other property.”

Beaton was arrested after two witnesses saw him “walking away from the area” of the fire in February 2021, near Gawler.

The court heard he accidentally burnt down his childhood home as a teenager and endured “a very difficult life” stemming from “merciless” bullying throughout his adolescence due to coming out as gay.

The court heard he started to gender transition from female to male in 2020.

Judge Allen noted Beaton’s accomplishments as a “talented junior sports person” who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2024 while in custody on remand.

“In addition to your considerable mental health and substance abuse issues, your physical health has also suffered following your remand in custody,” Judge Allen said.

“Following a biopsy conducted whilst you were in hospital in August 2024, you were diagnosed with breast cancer. A bilateral mastectomy was completed in October 2024.

“There seems to be some complexity in determining the appropriate treatment course, given the unknown effect upon conventional breast cancer treatment and the unknown effects on gender affirming treatment.”

Judge Allen sentenced Beaton to three years and six months in jail with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months.

The sentence was backdated to February 15, 2024 when Beaton was remanded in custody.

Originally published as Nicole Gail Beaton sentenced after starting Willaston bushfire to escape from meth-induced snake psychosis