UPDATE: Bail has been granted to 50-year-old Wayne McLean after he faced court for allegedly causing $200,000 in damage to a shed at Wodonga Cemetery by setting it on fire.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He was released to reside at his Wodonga home under strict conditions including to not attend the cemetery, not leave the house between 10pm and 7am unless with his wife and not be drunk outside of his home.
Magistrate David Faram also banned him from contacting prosecution witnesses, with the exception of his son.
McLean, who sat with his arms crossed in the Wodonga Magistrates Court dock, stood to say “yes” he understood the conditions of his bail.
The case was adjourned for a committal mention on February 7.
UPDATE: A 50-year-old Wodonga man has been charged with arson, burglary and attempted theft.
He is due to appear before the Wodonga Magistrates Court this afternoon.
UPDATE: Two men are in custody, assisting police with their enquiries, following a fire at Wodonga Cemetery.
Detective Sergeant Graeme Simpfendorfer said the pair had been taken into custody by uniformed police following the incident early this morning.
“It’s obviously being treated as arson, a deliberate act to destroy property in the shed, and or conceal a crime,” he said.
“We do have two people in custody as a result of our investigation thus far.
“That investigation is ongoing.
“It was great work by the uniformed officers last night on the night shift.
“We’re pleased to say we’ve got two people in our custody that are assisting us.”
The shed structure cost about $100,000 to install last year and there were tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of equipment in there.
Mark Armstrong, who is contracted to maintain the cemetery grounds, said a new excavator, lawnmowers and other items had been destroyed.
“You name it, it was all in here,” he said.
“Everything I have, it’s melted.
“They’ve melted everything in the shed.
“It’s cooked from one end to the other.”
Wodonga Cemetery Trust secretary Lia Carle said she was “scrambling to put contingencies in place”.
“We will still be able to provide the community with a service,” she said.
“The cemetery fees we collect in regards to burials and ashes interments is put directly back into the operation and maintenance of the cemetery for the community.
“So it’s costing the community.”
EARLIER: A fire has caused tens-of-thousand of dollars damage to a shed and equipment at the Wodonga Cemetery.
A steel shed, which had only recently been installed, caught alight about 1.30am this morning.
Passing police officers noticed the blaze and firefighters spent about an hour on scene bringing the incident under control.
The fire is being treated as suspicious.
Firefighter Sean Crossthwaite said an excavator, ride on lawnmower and other items had been destroyed.
The fire burnt through skylights on the roof of the building, fuelled by petrol in the shed.
“It was a fairly substantial fire inside at one stage,” he said.
“There was a lot of fuel stored in there for the machinery.”
Detectives and fire investigators from the CFA will attend this morning.
Anyone with information can contact (02) 6049 2600 or 1800 333 000.