Police have charged three teens after a school was allegedly broken into and damaged by fire on the state’s North Coast earlier this year, NSW Police say.
Emergency services were called to Waterfall Way, Bellingen, about 40km south of Coffs Harbour, on Tuesday 14 February 2017, following reports of a fire and malicious damage at a school.
Officers from Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command attended and assisted Fire & Rescue NSW as they extinguished the blaze and commenced an investigation.
On Friday 24 February 2017 police and Fire & Rescue NSW officers were called to the same location regarding another fire and further damage.
Officers found a number of windows were smashed with fire breaking out in classrooms and the library. The administration building was also ransacked and vandalised.
The fire caused significant damage to two classrooms and the library. No one was injured.
On 18 and 24 April 2017, a residence and a vehicle belonging to a serving police officer in Bellingen were also maliciously damaged.
Following investigations by officers from Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command, three teens were arrested yesterday.
One of the girls, aged 15, was arrested at her Werombi home. She was taken to Narellan Police Station where she was charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence and destroy property by means of fire.
She was granted bail and will appear in a children’s court on Wednesday 21 June 2017.
The other two girls, aged 13 and 14, were arrested at their Bellingen homes today and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where they were charged with destroy property by means of fire and malicious damage in company.
The 14-year-old was also charged with malicious damage in relation to the police officer’s residence and vehicle.
Both girls appeared in a children’s court today.
