Gunnedah housefire: Nathan Bartman's case adjourned in Tamworth District Court for medical report

Nathan Bartman has been behind bars since his arrest in August last year, and did not appear in Tamworth District Court on Monday, where the case was mentioned for the first time.

Aboriginal Legal Service lawyer Rebecca Gidlow asked the court for an adjournment to August.

She said the accused had an appointment scheduled with a medical specialist in July, who would then prepare a report for Bartman's case.

"Adjourn to the first day of the August sittings," Judge Deborah Payne ordered.

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She offered to excuse Bartman from appearing at the next court date as well.

Judge Payne asked Ms Gidlow to keep the court in the loop about how the medical report "is going".

Bartman made no application for bail and it was formally refused.

He is accused of torching the home in High Street, Gunnedah, just before dawn on August 2 last year.

Bartman is facing charges of damaging property worth more than $15,000 by fire or an explosive; and destroying or damaging property. Both charges are domestic violence-related.

A triple zero call alerted emergency services to the fire about 5:30am on the day in question.

The fire ripped through the brick and tile home and caused severe damage, but no one was injured in the blaze.

Gunnedah police and Oxley detectives launched an investigation into the exact cause of the fire and homed in on Bartman a little over a week later, in Moree.

He was tracked to a Moree address where Oxley detectives, along with the Moree Proactive Crime Team, surrounded the home, and arrested him after a foot pursuit.

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