Ryansbrook man accused of fuel station fireball in Kojonup after hitting bowers in stolen ute appears in court

The identity of a Great Southern man accused of driving a stolen car through fuel bowsers and sparking a fire at a Kojonup petrol station, has been revealed in his first court appearance on Thursday. Thomas James Marinoni, 28, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court charged with two counts of stealing a motor vehicle, two counts of trespassing, and one of burglary and commit and stealing respectively. Mr Marinoni has not yet entered any pleas to the offences that are alleged to have occurred between August 23 and 24 in Ryansbrook and Kojonup. In his brief court appearance, Mr Marinoni was read the six charges while it was also revealed one of the items alleged stolen from the service station was a can of red bull. The incident made headlines, after police released CCTV footage from the business showing the moment the vehicle smashes into the fuel bowsers before erupting into a ball of flames. After charging the alleged offender, police released information about the incident that occurred in the centre of Kojonup. Police allege the crime spree began when the accused trespassed on a farming property on Mcillwraith Road in Ryansbrook, south of Kojonup and stole a Nissan Patrol. After abandoning the Patrol a short time later at a property on Douglas Road, police say he stole a second vehicle, a Toyota Hilux. He allegedly then drove the Hilux into the Kojonup townsite and crashed it into fuel bowsers at the front of Kojonup Hi-Way Sales and Service on Albany Highway. The accused then allegedly forced entry into the service station, where police say he stole a number of items before he was arrested. Mr Marinoni, who is currently residing on bail at his parents house in Bunbury, will next appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court on October 17 for legal advice.