Wednesday, 5 February, 2020
Pakenham
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Call for a revamp to Cockatoo
Celebration of South Sudanese
Remembering the rose people
Phoenix in a quest for Croatia
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To school... and don’t spare the horsepower
Pakenham Primary School student Mason McKenzieHeeman was over the moon on Monday morning when Gregor Gniewosz gave him the opportunity to ride to his first day of school in a Mustang - Mason's dream car. 203916
By Jessica Anstice The promise of a Mustang ride to school became reality when a slick all-black Mustang GT turned up to five-year-old Mason McKenzie-Heeman’s house on Monday morning.After spotting Jasmine Ball’s shout out on Facebook, car enthusiast Gregor Gniewosz thought it would be kind to offer Mason a ride to his first day of school in the Mustang. To Mason, it was a dream come true. See the full story on page 8. More back to school coverage on pages 24 and 38-39.
Home arson jail 12425859-FA37-19
A man who set his Kooweerup house on fire has been jailed. Andrew Meekings, 54, was sentenced in the County Court on 24 January, after being found guilty of committing arson for gain. The court heard Meekings was seen leaving his Charles Street property with his wife, daughter and their belongings on 24 September 2016, headed to his mother’s property in Ballan for the night. The family pets were left behind at the house. Approximately five minutes after leaving, neighbours reported thick black smoke billowing from the property and alerted emergency services who found the house engulfed
by flames. The fire began on a couch, which had clothing, bedding and household appliances stacked onto it, and spread to the wall and ceiling, causing the roof to collapse across the front of the house. While the source of ignition wasn’t determined, the prosecution alleged Meekings lit the fire while his wife and daughter were waiting in the car. He was interviewed by police two months later and denied any involvement, claiming he didn’t know how it started. The court heard Meekings had been under significant financial pressure since an accident brought an end to his working life but financial troubles escalated in 2015, when he fell behind in mortgage payments and was threatened
with foreclosure. He explored various options to save the house but it was eventually sold for $338,000 a month prior to the incident. On 24 August, Meekings took out building and contents insurance on the house but failed to tell the RACV the property had been sold. The prosecution concluded the accused sought to get his family out of financial difficulty by destroying the house and claiming newly acquired insurance. In sentencing, Judge Trevor Wraight said: “While your conduct was motivated by the financial difficulties you faced, which included losing your home, that circumstance is not uncommon and your decision to destroy the home by fire was serious criminal conduct.“
Because the case went to trial, Meekings wasn’t entitled to a sentencing discount if he had pleaded guilty. According to Judge Wraight, Meekings expressed no remorse and continues to deny any involvement in the offence. Despite this, his prospects of rehabilitation were described as “very good” and it was said he had supportive relationships with his wife, daughter, mother and extended family members. He was convicted of one charge of committing arson for gain and was sentenced to six months imprisonment. Once released from prison, Meekings will be placed on a three-year community corrections order where he’ll be required to serve 250 hours of community work.
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