No bail for man at centre of alleged arson attack, kidnapping
A house was burnt down after armed men allegedly stormed the property and assaulted a man. Photo: ABC
The man at the centre of an alleged violent invasion where a house was torched and its occupants kidnapped in central west NSW has been refused bail.
The 44-year-old man, his son, 23, and a friend, 29, are facing several serious charges, including special aggravated break and enter, attempted murder and using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention.
The trio are accused of abducting the 44-year-old man’s ex-partner, her two boys and their grandmother from a farm at Ootha, near Condobolin.
It is alleged this was after they tried to murder the boys’ 68-year-old grandfather after tying him up, dousing the house with petrol and setting it alight.
The man survived the inferno, with police saying he unbound himself and escaped the house before alerting a neighbour, who called authorities.
That triggered a 12-hour manhunt, and a desperate search for the four alleged hostages.
It was a huge police operation involving PolAir, the dog squad and highway patrol.
The 44-year-old man, his son and friend were arrested near Windsor in Sydney’s north-west late on Tuesday night.
Police used thermal cameras on helicopters to track the men, and the dramatic moment they were surrounded in an open field and hit the ground before officers pounced was captured on camera.
The grandmother, the two boys and their mother were reunited and are continuing to assist police with their inquiries.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not appear in Parramatta Local Court when the matter was heard today, and did not apply for bail.
The two younger men were refused bail on Wednesday and all three will face court in Parkes in December.
