Unexploded Molotov cocktail found at fire site

He is charged with two counts of intentionally causing a bushfire, two counts of arson, two counts of making an explosive substance without a lawful excuse, lighting a fire on a total fire ban day and dishonestly retaining stolen goods.

Police officer Senior Constable Harrison Davis told the court police allege Randolph lit five fires along the Barmah-Shepparton Rd at Bunbartha on January 23 and 24.

The region was going through a heatwave at the time, with extreme to severe fire danger.

Fires without permits were not allowed to be lit on January 23, while January 24 was a day of total fire ban.

On January 23, a vegetation fire was discovered at the Ross Rd intersection at 5.10am, while another was discovered at 5.34am, 8.6km north of the first fire, at the intersection with Sandilands Rd.

The first fire burnt an area 40m by 30m in size, while the second was 20 by 10m in size.

Sen Constable Davis said a burnt aluminium can with liquid accelerant inside it was found at the site of the second fire.

On January 24, three fires occurred along the Barmah-Shepparton Rd at Bunbartha between 12.55am and 1.19am.

That day had been declared a day of total fire ban, and all three fires were discovered by a person driving home from work.

The first fire was 8m by 8m in size.

Two burnt aluminium cans with what police say was liquid accelerant inside them were found at the scene.

A homemade unexploded Molotov cocktail — comprised of a whiskey bottle wrapped in duct tape — with liquid accelerant in it, was also found at the scene, Sen Constable Davis said.

Ten minutes later, and about 5.6km away from the fourth fire, another vegetation fire about 5m by 15m was discovered.

The court heard pieces of aluminium foil with what police said appeared to be accelerant were found at the site.

The fifth fire was located at 1.19am. It was 9.4km from the fourth fire, and burnt 30m by 10m of vegetation.

Sen Constable Davis said phone cell-tower records put Mr Randolph in the areas of the fires when they started, and DNA from Mr Randolph and his partner was discovered on the unexploded whiskey bottle Molotov cocktail.

Police searched Mr Randolph’s motorhome at a Shepparton caravan park on February 11, where they found a roll of black electrical tape, a metal cylinder wrapped in black electrical tape, a jerry can of fuel, and a Western Australian number plate that had been stolen from Melbourne.

Sen Constable Davis said that in a police interview, Mr Randolph admitted to lighting the first three fires.

“He went into detail saying I used this item, I made this item, I threw it out the window and I kept driving,” Sen Constable Davis said.

“He said he was going through issues in his personal life.

“He couldn’t give a reason why he threw them (Molotov cocktails) out the window, but recognised it was not the right thing to do.”

His partner told police she had been asleep in the motorhome as they were travelling and had woken to see flames.

Sen Constable Davis also told the court that Mr Randoph lived a transient lifestyle and was wanted in South Australia and Queensland on warrants for deception and burglary offences.

Mr Randolph’s solicitor Jacob Button said his client could stay in a caravan park in Shepparton if bailed, could report to police daily, and a night-time curfew could be implemented.

He also said his client was a First Nations person, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit disorder, as well as a possible acquired brain injury, and there would be some delays in the case with having forensic analysis done on the burnt aluminium cans found at some of the fire scenes.

Prosecutor Sergeant Caitlin McLeod opposed bail, saying it was a serious offence and there could be disastrous effects from bushfires.

“It was only by the work of firefighters that this was not more serious,” she said.

Magistrate Mark Sabljak refused bail, and Mr Randolph will next appear in court in June for a committal mention.