A 51-year-old schizophrenic sufferer has been sentenced to jail, with time already served, for burning down his retirement village unit on Australia Day, causing $190,000 damage.
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Rodney James Barling was sentenced at the County Court in Ballarat on Wednesday to 236 days in jail,which he has already served, and a four-month community corrections order.
Judge John Smallwood described Barling’s offending as a very serious example of arson, where 38 elderly residents were evacuated from the Bacchus Marsh retirement village facility.
“It could have been a total disaster but fortunately it wasn’t,” Judge Smallwood said.
He said Barling was in the grips of a psychotic episode when he lit the fire shortly before midnight on January 25.
“What is clear now … is you were in the grips of a psychotic episode. You were hearing voices, losing your mind,” the judge said.
“You stopped taking your medication and it’s in those circumstances your offending occurred.”
Judge Smallwood accepted Barling had general remorse of what had occurred.
Barling lit the fire at Bacchus Marsh Retirement Living hours after he was seen walking along the Western Highway in an agitated state.
The fire destroyed one unit, damaged two other units and forced the evacuation of 38 residents.
The court was told Barling was walking along the Western Highway at Bacchus Marsh about 11.30am when he told police he had “had enough of this town”.
He did not tell police he lived at the Gisborne Road retirement village, so officers drove him to the nearest train station.
Later that night, the Bacchus Marsh Retirement Living manager saw smoke billowing out of Barling’s unit and contacted emergence services.
The court was told an arson chemist who attended the scene determined the fire was lit with a match or cigarette lighter.
The Bacchus Marsh Retirement Living manager had contacted Ballarat psychiatric services with concerns about Barling days before he lit the fire.
Defence barrister Eleanor Millar said her client had experienced schizophrenia for 30 years and became very unwell last year when he stopped taking his medication.
She said Barling moved from Ballarat to the Bacchus Marsh facility because there was no other suitable accommodation for him, and he became lonely.
Ms Millar said Barling would be living in supported accommodation in Ballarat when released from custody.
“We are seeking a community corrections order. The mental illness is the only factor in this case,” Ms Millar said.
The four-year community corrections order, which started when Barling was released from custody on Wednesday, will provide supervision and mental health treatment.
Judge Smallwood told Barling not to stop taking his medication again, to which he replied he was sorry.
He pleaded guilty to one count of arson.