A supermarket butcher accused of being a serial arsonist has made his first appearance in court since his release on bail six weeks ago.
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That was to hear prosecutor Sergeant Nicole Peacock inform court registrar Wendy Howard that some technical aspects of the fire investigation remained outstanding from the prosecution brief.
Michael Pithers stands accused of lighting four fires at Table Top and Thurgoona.
Pithers was arrested after being stopped by police in a white Toyota Corolla on Table Top Road, Thurgoona, on February 26.
That came as a result of police creating Strike Force Zalgris in January after several suspicious fires were reported in the Albury area.
Sergeant Peacock told Ms Howard, during a callover of the Albury Local Court list on Tuesday, April 23, that police were withdrawing a charge of intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread.
That was replaced by a sequence-eight charge of attempted intentionally causing fire and being reckless as to its spread.
"The majority of the (prosecution) brief has been served," Sergeant Peacock said.
Pithers made no comment during the mention of his case. He was represented by solicitor Bonnie Vogel, acting as agent for lawyer Angus Lingham.
He had no supporters in court, unlike his successful bail application on March 12 when his parents and sisters were in the public gallery.
Pithers, 29, was granted bail to live with his parents in Thurgoona and must not leave home unless in their company or to fulfil his duties as a butcher at the IGA supermarket in East Albury or attend court.
He previously pleaded not guilty, through defence lawyer Jaimee Simonsen, to four charges of intentionally causing a fire and being reckless as to its spread and to having a knife in a public place, over a black machete with a 50-centimetre blade police allegedly found during a search of Pithers' car.
At the time, magistrate Sally McLaughlin said that while the case was circumstantial, the evidence as suggested by the alleged sightings of Pithers' white Toyota Corolla was "that he deliberately lit the fires" on multiple occasions at multiple locations.
The only charge to which Pithers has pleaded guilty is driving while disqualified.
Ms Howard adjourned all charges to May 21. Pithers does not have to attend if legally represented.
