Arsonist jailed for five years

A firefighter battles flames at the house in Woongarra St, Bundaberg West, which Andrew Mikkelsen admitted he set alight.

Stephen McHugh

Related links

• Arsonist set for sentencing

A SERIAL arsonist who burned down a Woongarra St home in November was today sentenced to five years in jail.

Andrew Kenneth Mikkelsen, 26, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to one count of arson relating to an incident on November 19 last year in which he burned a Woongarra St home to the ground.

Judge David Reid said Mikkelsen had gone to the unoccupied house with another man on the night of the offence.

"You and (another man) entered through the back door," he said.

"You put a mattress on its side against a wall and used your lighter to set it on fire."

Judge Reid said police noticed Mikkelsen at the crime scene watching the home burn to the ground.

"They noticed you on the street watching the fire and there were suspicious elements to your behaviour," Judge Reid said.

He said Mikkelsen had lied to police and blamed the fire on his friend, but later admitted it had been him.

Judge Reid said the owners of the home had lost a huge amount of money because of Mikkelsen's actions.

"As a result of the fire, the owner had to spend $19,651 taking the material to the dump," he said.

Judge Reid said the cost was so high because the home contained asbestos.

On top of the clean-up bill, the uninsured owners lost the home which was worth between $70,000 and $100,000.

"(In total) the owners suffered a loss of $90,000 to $120,000 because of your criminality," Judge Reid told Mikkelsen.

The judge said while Mikkelsen could greatly benefit from a residential rehabilitation program, the community needed to be protected.

"It seems to me that the need to protect the community, unfortunately, is better met by imposing a sentence of five years imprisonment," he said.

Mikkelsen will be eligible for parole in July 2013 and whether he will be released before the end of the five-year term will depend on the parole board.

Judge Reid encouraged Mikkelsen to prove to the board that he was suitable for early release.