Man accused of setting fire to Caulfield racecourse grandstand faces court
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Alleged arsonist Travis Bird, 51, charged with nine offences over Tuesday’s blaze and another three grassfires at nearby Attenborough park. A man accused of setting fire to a heritage-listed racecourse grandstand will remain behind bars after facing court.
Travis Bird, 51, appeared at Melbourne magistrates court on Wednesday after being charged with nine offences – four counts of arson, two of trespass and one each of burglary, criminal damage and theft. The alleged arsonist was arrested at Mordialloc train station on Tuesday after a major blaze tore through Caulfield Racecourse’s Norman Robinson stand earlier that morning.
The fire likely caused millions of dollars of damage and disrupted racing fixtures, with a meet scheduled for Wednesday moved to Mornington. Bird is accused of lighting a blaze on grounds and another three grassfires at nearby Attenborough park. He faced court wearing a grey T-shirt on Wednesday morning, flanked by custody officers, where he did not apply for bail.
His defence lawyer said Bird had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and asked for custody nurses to examine him and give him his medication. “I would ask that his mental health be monitored whilst he’s in custody,” she told the court. Magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano asked Bird to stand as he told him he would be remanded in custody, to appear back in court on 1 April.
