Man kicked out of West Tamworth home before friends lit house fire

Jonny Flor, 20, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly destroying a home by fire on Cossa Street, West Tamworth, where he once lived.

The 20-year-old Bingara man was flanked by a support person in Tamworth Local Court when he admitted to acting as part of a joint criminal enterprise to cause damage to the home just after 1am on May 3, 2022.

Two co-offenders - Molly Lee, 21, and Taylor Jordan Jarrett, 22 - have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and are awaiting sentence.

Court documents reveal Flor had been living with Lee and Jarrett, who at the time were in a relationship, after he got kicked out of the Cossa Street home.

The agreed facts state, the landlord asked Flor to leave the house after the 20-year-old fell behind on rent, and she noticed a number of holes in the walls in April 2022.

During the evening of May 2, 2022, a number of text messages were exchanged between Flor and Lee.

Later that night, Lee drove Jarrett and three other men to the Cossa Street home, and waited in the car while the men forced entry into the house.

When Jarrett came back to the car he told Lee he had bundled up clothing and set it on fire, using alcohol as an accelerant.

According to the facts, Lee didn't believe Jarrett had actually lit a fire, and drove back past the premises to check the following day.

At about 1:30pm on May 3, 2022, Flor texted Lee asking "was anyone there?"

Lee responded saying the boys had checked and no one was home.

"Oh hahahaha anything left of it?" Flor responded.

"Not really, it's pretty f***** aye," Lee replied.

Emergency services attended the scene of the fire, and police launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the suspicious blaze.

The agreed facts state damage from the fire amounted to $371,451.09 of structural costs, and $54,075 for demolition.

Following a lengthy police investigation, Flor was arrested by police on January 31, 2023.

During an interview with officers, the 20-year-old said he told Lee and Jarrett "no, that's stupid" when they said they could go burn the Cossa Street house down.

He said he still had "respect" for the landlord and knew the people still living in the house.

"I've asked them 'was this [the fire] youse," Flor told police, according to court documents.

The 20-year-old told police he said to Lee and Jarrett: "I told you not to".

The agreed police facts state Flor is liable in relation to the destroying property by fire charge on the basis he was part of a joint criminal enterprise to cause damage to the property, but not including the fire.

Flor was also accused of a second charge of concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, but this charge had previously been dropped by the prosecution in court.

Lee was interviewed by police on January 12, 2023, and Jarrett was arrested on March 23, 2023.

Flor will remain on bail until his sentence date in May.

Lee and Jarrett are expected to be sentenced in March.