Court hears man was doing 'dirty work' when girlfriend took him to light house fire

Taylor Jordan Jarrett, 22, and Molly Lee, 21, fronted Tamworth Local Court separately when they were sentenced for intentionally or recklessly destroying a Cossa Street home by fire.

The Quirindi man, and the Queanbeyan woman previously pleaded guilty to the charge, and admitted to acting as part of a joint criminal enterprise in the early hours of May 3, 2022.

Jarrett's defence solicitor Garry Johnston told the court the 22-year-old was doing the "dirty work" for a co-offender, when he forced his way into the home, bundled up clothing, and set it on fire.

Mr Johnston dubbed Jarrett as a "follower, not a leader", who was acting on the will of another person when the offending took place.

A statement of agreed facts tendered to the court reveals Lee, who was in a relationship with Jarrett at the time, drove him and three other men to the Cossa Street home in a silver Ford Falcon on the evening on May 2, 2022.

Lee stayed in the car while the men forced entry into the home.

When Jarrett returned to the car, Lee noticed he smelt of alcohol, and he told the 21-year-old he had lit a fire in one of the bedrooms.

According to the agreed facts, Lee exchanged a number of text messages with a co-offender during the night about the fire.

"Not really it's pretty f***** aye," the 21-year-old texted to the co-offender who asked if there was anything left of the house.

Damage from the fire amounted to $371,451.09 of structural costs, and $54,075 for demolition.

In the wake of the suspicious blaze, police launched an investigation and later charged Lee, Jarrett and a third offender.

During sentencing, Lee's defence barrister Edward McMahon told the court the 21-year-old had played a lesser role in the blaze.

"There is no evidence this defendant did anything to encourage the co-offender who lit the fire," Mr McMahon said.

He told the court Lee has "very good" prospects for rehabilitation, and had been doing well in the community since relocating away from Tamworth.

"She has in many ways put her life on a new and different track," Mr McMahon said.

On behalf of Jarrett, Mr Johnston told the court the 22-year-old was also making "very good progress" in his rehabilitation, but conceded he had committed unrelated, minor offences, since the house fire.

"At the time [of the fire] he had never come before the court," Mr Johnston said.

Magistrate Julie Soars said the pair had committed a "serious" offence which caused substantial damage.

She said it was lucky there were no occupants inside the house at the time.

Ms Soars said documents handed up to her showed Lee had been engaging in "very favourable" behaviours since the offending.

She convicted Lee of the offence, and sentenced her to an 18-month good behaviour order.

Lee is also required to complete 80 hours of community service.

"You need to give something back to the community and reflect on what has happened," Ms Soars said.

The court heard Jarrett was "very close" to a sentence of full-time imprisonment for his role in the fire.

But, Ms Soars said given his "substantial progress" in the community, and personal difficulties during his upbringing, he would be safe to serve his sentence in the community.

Jarrett was sentenced to a two-year Intensive Corrections Order, or a community-based prison sentence, with the added condition he complete 120 hours of community service work.

A third co-offender, who has also pleaded guilty to the charge, will front court in May for sentencing.