THE OWNER of The Armidale Club, that burned down under suspicious circumstances, has launched an online fundraiser to cover her legal fees.
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The GoFundMe, headed by former club owner Kate Richards, has threatened Supreme Court action against former landlord Gary Burgess and 'other parties connected to the development.'
Called The Armidale Club Litigation Fund, it has raised $946 in just 20 hours.
"The Armidale Club was subjected to a deliberate act of arson on the 16th of September 2016," Ms Richards wrote on the page.
"I now believe and so do many others that; this criminal act, committed against me, was to make way for a lucrative government development; the relocation of the Animal Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
"A decision made by the then Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce that went ahead despite all best advice and recommendations against the move."
A Coronial Inquest in 2016 determined the fire was suspicious but could not determine who poured the petrol and set fire to the building.
The site has been the centre of an ongoing dispute between Ms Richards and the former landlord as Ms Richards argued her 25-year lease over the property was never resolved.
New England detectives are reviewing evidence in the case and investigations are continuing, a spokesman said.
There is no evidence to suggest Mr Burgess, his family, or Member for New England Barnaby Joyce had any involvement with the fire at The Armidale Club.
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The Supreme Court litigation would involve a lot of fees Ms Richards said she would be unable to afford.
"I am just one person, I have a very big will to see justice prevail," she said.
"But I can't do it alone."
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
