Court told of fire bombing

A SOON-TO-BE Newcomb grandmother allegedly attacked a rival’s car and house with a homemade petrol bomb.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court was told a feud between hairdresser Belinda Clark, 53, and Whittington woman Trudi Butterfield was escalating to dangerous levels.

Police have accused Ms Clark of using butane gas cyl- inders and petrol to make two bombs at her Saturn St home in the early hours of Tuesday, and then using the bombs to start a fire in Ms Butterfield’s Oxford St driveway.

While one bomb did not detonate, the other started a fire that destroyed two cars and almost spread to the house and its next door neighbour.

Senior Constable Jason Tom alleged Ms Clark telegraphed her attack in phone messages to Geelong police station and the victim’s expartner soon before the fire started.

Sen-Constable Tom said police also had footage of Ms Clark filling a petrol can at a service station soon before the attack.

The alleged motive was a fire at her home at 12.45 the same morning; her Holden Commodore set alight.

Sen-Constable Tom said she then phoned the police station and said: “Belinda Clark’s my name . . . I’m about to kill Trudi Butterfield because she’s just blown up my car.”

But when police arrived at her home, Ms Clark told them to “f--- off”, the court heard.

In police interviews, she is said to have claimed selfdefence for the attack.

“She repeatedly stated she’s going to ‘knock’ Butterfield ... (and that) one of them is going to end up dead, and it won’t be her,” Sen-Constable Tom said.

He said firefighters stopped the Oxford St blaze before it spread to neighbouring homes.

Ms Clark faces charges of reckless conduct endangering life, two counts of criminal damage by fire, unlicensed driving, breaching an intervention order and a count of causing an explosion likely to end life.

The court heard the later offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail, and would lead to the matter progressing to a higher court.

The accused made an application for bail yesterday, telling court she needed to organise her son’s 21st birthday and help her pregnant daughter.

Magistrate John Lesser said he would need to hear from someone in her family who was willing to accommodate the woman before bail could be seriously considered.

He adjourned the bail application until tomorrow to give her time to get the appropriate person to court.