A MAN who allegedly twice firebombed a gym at Wickham and then torched his mum's car as police closed in has been released from jail into home detention ahead of a hearing in November.
Luke Daniel Evans, now 43, has spent the past six months behind bars after he was charged over three "serious and bizarre" arson attacks during a two-week period earlier this year.
After his arrest in March, Evans became emotional when appearing in a bail division court and burst out that he had lit the two fires at Air Locker Training at Wickham under duress.
"They were going to kill my family if I didn't do it," he said in court before being told to keep quiet.
He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of damaging property by fire, and will face a hearing in Newcastle Local Court in November.
Evans appeared in the NSW Supreme Court last week via audio visual link from jail and applied to be released on bail.
The application wasn't opposed by prosecutors, who conceded any risks of Evans failing to appear, interfering with witnesses or committing further offences could be mitigated by strict conditions.
Justice Tim Faulkner said the case against Evans was strong and included CCTV footage and the identification of his mother's silver hatchback being used to buy petrol and drive to the gym before someone lit fires on January 20 and 23.
He said the arson at the gym showed "planning and determination" and the torching of his mother's car, "immediately" after images of the car were released by police, showed an attempt to destroy evidence.
But Justice Faulkner said Evans had family support, mental health conditions and had already spent a significant period of time behind bars.
He said the hearing was only two months away and was comfortable Evans would comply with a number of conditions that he said would mitigate any potential risks he posed.
He granted Evans bail on the basis that he live under house arrest, report daily to police, undergo counselling and not go within 500 metres of the Air Locker Gym at Wickham.
Police revealed in March that Evans had allegedly been captured on CCTV filling up containers with fuel before setting fire to the same Wickham gym twice.
And, as police closed in and appealed for information about a vehicle used in the arson attacks, Evans allegedly took his mother's car out into the bush at Salamander Bay and set it alight.
Emergency services were first called to reports a blaze had broken out inside Air Locker Training at Wickham about 10pm on January 20.
Police allege Evans filled a red container with fuel, smashed a glass entrance door at the gym, threw the liquid in and set it alight, causing minor damage to the lobby area.
He is accused of returning to the gym in Albert Street in his mother's silver Toyota Corolla hatchback late on the night of January 23 before jumping the fence and again setting it alight.
That fire caused significant damage and led to the closure of Air Locker Training Wickham.
Newcastle detectives launched Strike Force Halesworth to investigate the fires.
Evans is then accused of burning out his mother's Corolla in bushland at Salamander Bay on February 4, hours after police issued a media release with CCTV appealing for information about a vehicle.
Extensive investigations led police to raid a home at Keel Street, Salamander Bay, on March 5, where detectives arrested Evans, who was living in a caravan in the front yard.
