Man jailed for lighting bushfires

as posted here

A 42-year-old man has been found guilty of lighting fires in four Perth suburbs last year.
Andrew Drake was sentenced to 26 months jail in Perth District Court this morning after he was found guilty of lighting five fires in Thornlie, Maddington, Maida Vale and Forrestdale in March last year.

Drake, an unemployed truck driver, will be eligible for parole after 13 months. His sentence was backdated to October 4 last year, meaning he could be released as early as November this year.

The court heard evidence that Drake had told a friend he had lit the fires and that Drake’s mobile phone was found near one of the blazes. He later reported his phone missing to police.

Judge Roger Macknay told the court the lighting of fires in Australia in the summer was “an extremely dangerous thing to do” and the bushfires in Victoria provided “compelling evidence” of this.

PERTH
GIORDANO STOLLEY

as posted here