A man accused of starting a fire at a famous lake precinct in South Australia’s south-east in October last year has had one of the charges against him dismissed.
Travis Bruce Doel, 37, appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court today, where his lawyer applied to have a charge of causing a bushfire at the city’s Valley Lake precinct dismissed.
His lawyer said it was the third time the charge had appeared for determination and no further information from the prosecution had been provided.
Magistrate Kylie Schulz dismissed the bushfire charge after an application from Mr Doel’s lawyer. (ABC News: Justin Hewitson)
Mr Doel’s additional charges of theft, threatening to cause harm and offensive language were not part of the dismissal application and will proceed.
He had previously been denied bail over the seriousness of all the charges and was present via video link for the hearing.
Those charges relate to an interaction with two women at the Valley Lake area, where Mr Doel allegedly swore at them and allegedly threatened to rape them.
Dangerous behaviour
Prosecutors had previously told the court Mr Doel was wearing a mask and black cape at the time of the interaction with the women on the evening of October 27 last year.
The court heard that after the alleged interaction, the women noticed six fires had started in the lake precinct.
Emergency services were called to Valley Lake in Mount Gambier in October. (Supplied: Limestone Coast Community News)
When the case was first mentioned in court after the alleged incident, prosecutors expressed concerns the fire could have spread.
But today in court, Magistrate Kylie Schulz dismissed the bushfire charge, noting it could be brought against him again.
He will reappear in court in August on theft, threatening to cause harm and offensive language charges.
