A 60-year-old Kalgoorlie man is facing the prospect of a lengthy prison term after pleading guilty to dousing a woman in petrol and setting an office building alight in the regional Western Australian city during December.
Raymond John O'Brien today pleaded guilty to criminal damage by fire and endangering the life of a person, and was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment ahead of sentencing later this year.
Kalgoorlie's Magistrates Court had previously heard O'Brien walked into Murphy Boyden Real Estate on December 12 carrying a red jerry can and told a woman working inside the office to leave, saying "I'm going to burn this place down".
The court was told the office worker had tried to reason with O'Brien, who started to pour the contents of the jerry can over a sofa and carpet in the building.
Police alleged it was at this point Mr O'Brien spun around with the jerry can, dousing the woman's face and torso in petrol.
The court heard O'Brien again told the woman to leave before removing a red lighter from his pocket and igniting the fuel.
Once outside, O'Brien stood on Egan Street watching the building burn and told a witness that he had started the fire, the court heard.
WA police arrived shortly afterwards. Body-worn cameras recorded O'Brien telling officers that he had started the fire, before handing them a lighter from his pocket.
The woman received minor injuries and was taken to Kalgoorlie Health Campus, as was O'Brien, who had burns to his body.
Damages to the building, which also housed a GP clinic, were estimated to cost $500,000.
The motive for the arson attack remained unclear.
O'Brien pleads guilty
During his brief court appearance today, O'Brien spoke only to the magistrate to confirm his name, that he understood the charges and then to enter his guilty pleas.
O'Brien's lawyer Will Reid told the court that a psychiatric report was appropriate in the circumstances.
"On the Friday prior to the fire, my client attended the Kalgoorlie hospital where he was admitted, and I have the wrist band to show that he was admitted as a patient," he said.
"Due to the nature of the offence, there needs to be an assessment of his likelihood to reoffend, and there may be some undiagnosed mental health issues as well."
It was revealed during O'Brien's last court appearance on February 2 that he spoke to police in the days before the arson attack.
The court heard police had referred O'Brien to the Kalgoorlie Health Campus on December 9, three days before the fire, after speaking with officers at Kalgoorlie Police Station.
O'Brien, who had been out on bail since February 2, had his bail renewed on new terms after his surety withdrew, and was released on a $3,000 personal undertaking.
His strict bail conditions mean he is not allowed within 100 metres of the building he set alight, or within 50 metres of two women — the owner of Murphy Boyden Real Estate and an employee working at the office.
He was also forced to surrender his passport and was told he must not approach an international terminal or attempt to leave Australia.
In addition to the psychiatric assessment, the court has ordered a pre-sentence report before O'Brien is due to be sentenced in the District Court during June.
