Jamain Patrick Anthony Grant: Man jailed for five years for roadside arsons and threats to 6yo son in Mid West

A 27-year-old man has been jailed for five years for an eight-hour rampage during which he lit six roadside fires in the Mid West and threatened to stab his young son when confronted. Jamain Patrick Anthony Grant was sentenced in the Perth District Court on November 25 after pleading guilty to six counts of wilfully lighting a fire under such circumstances as to likely injure a person or damage property and one count of making a threat to harm another. The court was told Grant, with his six-year-old son in the car, drove along the Geraldton-Mt Magnet Road between 3.30pm and 11.50pm on December 16, 2023, stopping to light five fires. As he continued along the Mingenew-Mullewa Road he lit small pieces of fabric with a lighter and threw them from the vehicle on multiple occasions. About 80 firefighters were called to put out the fires, which burnt more than 2400 hectares and caused 10 power lines to collapse over the train line, halting rail services for several hours. Grant’s arson caused about $50,000 in projected mining and farming losses. When his car broke down, Grant was confronted by police as well as a farmer who had been following him. He continued to light small grass fires and then took hold of his son, punched him in the back and raised a pair of scissors above him, shouting words to the effect of “come any closer and I will stab him”. Grant threw his son 5m over a barbed wire fence and continued to make stabbing motions towards him and verbal threats until police managed to arrest him. The court was told Grant has a psychiatric history involving drug-induced psychosis, manic psychosis and mania, but did not meet the diagnostic criteria for pyromania. A psychological report to the court concluded Grant likely suffered from bipolar with psychotic features or a substance-induced psychotic disorder but he would need further assessment. District Court Judge Nicholas Egan said while no one was injured because of Grant’s “persistent and brazen” actions, he put the lives of others at risk and traumatised his young son. “He would undoubtedly have been very fearful watching you light numerous fires and more fearful and scared by reason of the offending that you committed against him,” he said. “Whilst it would seem that you were not motivated by gratification or fascination with fires, it does seem that, at least in part, you were motivated to evade being arrested and/or evading harm from others whom you believed were out to get or hurt you. “Regardless, your offending was extremely reckless and clearly without due regard or consideration for the consequences of your behaviour.” Judge Egan said Grant set the fires during a hot and dry time of year in rural locations where the blazes were more likely to spread. The court was told Grant, who was on a court-ordered intensive supervision order at the time, is still together with the mother of his four children, who is now pregnant with their fifth child. Judge Egan said he took into account Grant’s guilty pleas, mental health, young age, remorse and time already spent on remand in Hakea Prison, where he would have experienced harsh conditions. He imposed a total sentence of five years in prison, which was backdated, meaning Grant will be eligible for parole in December 2027.