A HOMELESS man who burnt down the unit he was living in before threatening a group of people with a knife doesn’t have a great future, a court has heard.
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James Donald Bouteris, 55, will spend at least 10 months in jail after the Thurgoona Street fire on January 10.
He has an extensive NSW criminal history dating back to 1979 and lawyer Tim Hemsley conceded on Tuesday things were not looking good.
“Given his background, he doesn’t have a great future,” he told Albury Local Court.
“There are very few positives in his life.”
Bouteris has personality disorders, depression, is an alcoholic and was sexually abused as a child.
His mental illnesses appeared to have played out during his bizarre offending on the night of the fire.
The 55-year-old had been staying at a friend’s home in a large block of units at 543 Thurgoona Street, his mate doing him a favour.
The occupant had gone to Goulburn over the Christmas break, leaving Bouteris alone at his unit.
Witnesses heard Bouteris yelling and screaming from the home, telling people to stop making noise, and he ran outside the complex to yell at other residents.
He swore at a neighbour living above the unit he was staying in when they asked for him to “pipe down”.
He continually burnt newspaper to set off a smoke alarm and annoy the other neighbours and told police to “f--- off” when they arrived early the following day.
He had initially claimed to have fallen asleep before someone entered the unit and set fire to curtains, but the court heard he now conceded some of the newspaper must have stayed alight and torched the unit.
After leaving the property, Bouteris confronted a group of three men near Albury police station about 4.30am.
He pulled out a 40-centimetre knife and swore at them, stepping backwards and forwards while waving the weapon.
One man tried to disarm him, but Bouteris tripped over.
He walked into the police station a short time later and put the weapon on a counter and told police he would have stabbed the men if they attacked him.
Firefighters attended the unit about 4.30am and the property was gutted.
Mr Hemsley said his client was now acting differently after being in prison and receiving mental health treatment – he was off his medication at the time of the offence.
He will be eligible for release in November.