By Sally Rawsthorne and Sarah Keoghan
YouTube personality Jordan Shanks-Markovina, better known as Friendlyjordies, says he has a “long list of suspects” in the alleged arson attack on his Bondi home on Wednesday, the second time the address has been targeted in a week.
Police and Fire and Rescue NSW have launched investigations after the property in the eastern suburbs sustained “significant” fire damage in the early hours of the morning.
Jordan Shanks-Markovina, inset in circle, and his home, which was engulfed by flames in the early hours of Wednesday morning.Credit: OnScene Bondi
Shanks-Markovina, 33, who is an Australian political commentator and stand-up comedian, told reporters on Wednesday he had a “long list of suspects” based on his work.
“We’ve done some extremely dangerous reporting over the last year on a bunch of extremely powerful people and corporations. There are many people that would want to do that [arson],” he said.
“I do have a shortlist in my head of who I think could’ve done it. I would hope that the NSW strike force that is supposedly set up for fixated people and terrorists would be looking into this instead of a comedian and his team for six months straight,” he said.
Friendlyjordies producer Kristo Langker was charged by NSW Police’s Fixated Persons Unit in June last year and accused of stalking former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro. The charges were later dropped. There is no suggestion Barilaro is involved in the alleged arson attack.
“Someone has just tried to kill Jordan Shanks,” his lawyer, Mark Davis, said.
It is the second fire at the home, which is a subdivision, in a week. Davis said last Thursday’s arson attack had hit the other dwelling mistakenly. “It’s the second time, there was an attempt [last week].”
Shanks-Markovina talks to media after the alleged arson attack on his Bondi home.Credit: Sally Rawsthorne
On Wednesday afternoon, Shanks-Markovina posted an image of the fire to his Instagram account, captioning it “I’m still alive”.
The YouTuber was not at home at the time of the alleged attack because he couldn’t find his key, instead spending the night at another property.
Emergency services were called to Wilga Street by multiple neighbours just after midnight on Wednesday. “The fire is being treated as suspicious,” Fire and Rescue NSW’s Adam Dewberry told reporters.
Fire investigators at the scene of Wednesday night’s blaze.Credit: Steven Siewert
Specialist forensic police and dogs “trained in the use of detecting accelerants” would investigate the cause of the fire, he said.
NSW Fire and Rescue said it took crews half an hour to extinguish the blaze which “caused fairly significant damage”.
The home remained a crime scene on Wednesday, with detectives arriving at the address in the afternoon as the smell of smoke hung in the air.
“Officers from eastern suburbs police area command attended along with Fire and Rescue NSW and found the veranda of the house well alight,” police said in a statement.
“The fire was extinguished with significant damage caused to the home and an adjoining property.”
Shanks-Markovina has been a YouTube personality for about a decade. He has interviewed Kristina Keneally, Tanya Plibersek and former prime minister Kevin Rudd among others.
Recent videos on his YouTube Channel, which boasts 627,000 subscribers, include “KFC Workers Confess Their Sins”, “Anthony Albanese: Enemy to Women?” and “Career Politicians: A Scourge on Society”.
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