Fire’s origin was a mystery for investigators

FIRE investigators cannot say what started a fire which almost gutted a Miami unit, a court was told yesterday.

Carla Maree Monaghan bit her housemate on his face before setting fire to their unit at Nobby’s Outlook Resort on October 26, 2016, a jury was told. Monaghan pleaded not guilty in the Southport District Court to arson.

Fire investigators on the second day of the trial said their examination of the fire, which started in an upstairs bedroom, was inconclusive.

Queensland Police Acting Senior Sergeant Wayne Rasmussen said he could not exclude either an electrical fault or human involvement.

“Therefore, there was no evidence that a deliberately lit fire was the certain cause of the fire and it’s best classed as undetermined?” Monaghan’s barrister Mr Jackson asked.

Act Snr Sgt Rasmussen said he could only say what possible ignition sources were, including a “spontaneous electrical fault” in a switch or fan, or “material lit by a person”.

Southport police Senior Constable Rebecca Lee gave evidence of an exchange she had with an “anxious and nervous” Monaghan the morning after the fire. Snr Const. Lee said Monaghan told her without a prompt it was an “accidental fire which I didn’t start” and when asked if she was okay, “I didn’t start the fire, I didn’t.”

The court was told Monaghan attributed the fire to falling asleep while smoking a cigarette.

Closing arguments were due to start today.