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Accused Bushfire Arsonist to Face Court
ABC News ^ | 2/15/09

Posted on 02/15/2009 1:06:43 PM PST by nickcarraway

The first person to be charged over Victoria's deadly bushfires will face the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

The man, who cannot be identified, is accused of lighting the Churchill-Jeeralang fire which killed 21 people in Gippsland, in Victoria's east.

The fire started in plantation near Churchill and quickly spread to nearby communities.

The man was arrested last week and charged with arson causing death, intentionally lighting a bushfire, and possessing child pornography.

The man did not attend a brief court hearing in Morwell on Friday, but his lawyer told the court the man was in a fragile mental state.

The police prosecutor raised concerns about the man's safety and said he may need to be separated from other prisoners.

The man was moved to an undisclosed location in Melbourne on Friday night.

The judge also ordered that he be assessed by a psychiatrist.

Police are still urging anyone with any information on the fires across the state to come forward.


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arson; australia; bushfire; terrorism

1 posted on 02/15/2009 1:06:43 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
The man, who cannot be identified . . .

My decoder ring is point to the Crescent and Star.

2 posted on 02/15/2009 1:13:13 PM PST by Zuben Elgenubi
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

I think that may be a possibility.


3 posted on 02/15/2009 1:18:21 PM PST by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi; Vladimir

Unlikely, given what is known about him, but, of course, while his name is being suppressed, some people will wonder.


4 posted on 02/15/2009 1:50:30 PM PST by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

And if so are the Aussie authorities afraid to mention this for fear of a nationalist backlash against towel head immigrants?


5 posted on 02/15/2009 1:53:08 PM PST by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Zuben Elgenubi

That comment “The man, who cannot be identified” bothers me. Why can’t he be identified? Doesn’t he have a name? Maybe the decoder IS to point to the Crescent and Star.


6 posted on 02/15/2009 1:55:08 PM PST by svxdave (Life is too short to wear a fake Rolex.)
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To: svxdave; Joe Boucher

His identity has been suppressed to protect his family from reprisals. People can’t get at him, but they could still get at family members and some people are angry enough to do that.


7 posted on 02/15/2009 1:59:22 PM PST by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: nickcarraway
"The man, who cannot be identified . . ."

What the hell? Is it "He-who-cannot-be-named?" Lord Voldemort?

8 posted on 02/15/2009 2:15:12 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: naturalman1975

I know it is not good to say but I’m glad his family is in danger. I’d like these homicide bombers families to be in danger too.
Maybe if a few terrorists saw their families vaporized they’d stop their crap.


9 posted on 02/15/2009 2:19:03 PM PST by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: nickcarraway

Is this the guy who’s photo-ident looked like one of the 9-11 hijackers?


10 posted on 02/15/2009 2:29:01 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: nickcarraway
his lawyer told the court the man was in a fragile mental state.

In other words he's a typical Muslim.

11 posted on 02/15/2009 2:44:21 PM PST by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
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To: Travis McGee

No - the only image released so far is of a suspect in another fire.

There have been dozens of bushfires in Victoria over the past week or so. Some were deliberately lit. Some were acts of nature (lightning strikes). Some were from stupid negligence (a cigarette thrown out of a car window started one blaze), and some seem accidental (a broken electrical wire trailing sparks along the ground).


12 posted on 02/15/2009 2:49:04 PM PST by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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