Teens charged over fire that destroyed Geraldton’s Old Vic Hotel given community orders, spent convictions

Two teenagers have been handed community-based orders and spent convictions for their roles in a fire that gutted Geraldton’s Old Victoria Hotel building last year. The vacant Marine Terrace building, which was also known as Blue Heelers tavern, had to be bulldozed because of safety fears in the days following the fire on the night of February 18 and 19 in 2021. The case against the second of two teenagers charged was finalised in recent weeks, 18 months on from the blaze, which left a damage bill of $400,000. The two teens, both 17 at the time, were charged with aggravated burglary and commit offence and failing to reasonably ensure that fire or ignition source did or would not cause a fire that could not be controlled. In March this year, a 19-year-old from South Hedland was sentenced to a six-month community-based order and was granted a spent conviction in the South Hedland Children’s Court. His co-offender, a 19-year-old from Carey Park, was sentenced in the Geraldton Children’s Court on August 16 and received a 12-month community based order and a spent conviction. Geraldton Detectives officer-in-charge Det-Sen. Sgt Bruce McDonald said the two boys entered the bordered up and abandoned building about 10.56pm despite signage warning against trespassing and associated dangers. “While in the building, they started a fire which quickly developed inside the building,” he said. Smoke was seen billowing out of the building’s windows about 12.23am and at 12.31am the two boys were seen leaving the scene without properly extinguishing the fire. “The fire continued to develop with firefighters arriving on scene minutes later,” Det-Sen. Sgt McDonald said. “Firefighters were unable to extinguish the fire which ultimately caused complete destruction of the building.” Fire crews spent about 10 hours battling the massive blaze, but it had to be demolished after being deemed a safety hazard to nearby buildings. Detectives investigated and charged the two teenagers in July and August last year.