Teenager in court after house fire

A TEENAGER accused of setting fire to a Toowoomba home had only been granted bail by the court hours earlier.

The 15-year-old girl, who as a juvenile cannot be named, had been in detention but was granted bail by the Children’s Court of Queensland on Friday.

She was taken to the Glenvale home of a carer Friday night.

However, police claim late Friday night the carer heard the teenager in another room say words to the effect “Hey, come and see this” and then the carer smelt smoke.

The carer went to investigate and allegedly found the kitchen bench on fire and called the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.

The teenager was taken back into custody by police and charged with arson, spending the night in the Toowoomba watch house.

It is believed the girl has some mental health issues and while she has no previous criminal history she has more than three pages of charges that have as yet to be dealt with.

The charge of arson was mentioned before Toowoomba Children’s Court on Saturday morning.

Her solicitor Amber Acreman told the court she didn’t need her client brought up into court from the watch house as there would be no application for bail at this stage.

The charge of arson, to which the girl has not yet been required to enter a plea, would have to go up to the higher court, Ms Acreman said.

Magistrate Kay Ryan therefore remanded the girl in custody and adjourned the case for mention back in the same court on January 24.