Men in court over school fire

THREE of the four men charged with lighting a fire which caused about $7 million in damage to a Gold Coast private school have appeared in Southport Magistrates Court.

Harrison Rogers, 19, Blake Jason Coleman and Jackson Thomas Plass, both 20, are all charged with arson for allegedly lighting the fire which destroyed the theatre and several classrooms at St Andrews Lutheran College on Tallebudgera Creek Rd in April 2016.

Brooke Winter, representing Coleman, asked for his appearance to be excused and the matter to be adjourned to February 13.

Rogers had his caseadjourned to February 15 and Plass to March 6.

Their co-accused Paul Hamstra, of Mermaid Beach, appeared in court last month and his matter was adjourned to February 13.

All four men are believed to be former students of the school.

Another man was yesterday committed to stand trial in the Southport District Court for allegedly lighting fires at two Gold Coast schools in August last year.

The fires were unrelated to the St Andrews Lutheran College blaze.

Police will allege Jian Koll Hattersley-Jones, 17, lit a fire at Miami State School on August 2, damaging a wall.

It is also alleged he lit another fire at St Vincents Catholic Primary School on August 4.

Hattersley-Jones also faces ten counts of making malicious phone calls to Triple 0.

He was committed to stand trial in the Southport District Court at a date yet to be confirmed.