Man hands himself in to police

A MAN accused of deliberately setting fire to a house in Healesville drove to Cranbourne Police Station to hand himself in.
The 52-year-old Healesville man appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Thursday on a range of charges including rape, attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, arson and other assault charges.
The charges relate to an incident in the early hours of Anzac Day. CFA units from Healesville and Badger Creek were called to a house fire about 2.30am and managed to contain the blaze to the main bedroom.
Healesville CFA secretary John McKenzie said the fire started in the doorway of the master bedroom at the front of the house.
It is believed the female occupant of the house had fled the fire by the time the brigade arrived and was with a neighbour.
The property was declared a crime scene a short time later after a man handed himself in to police at Cranbourne.
By 9.30am members of the police arson squad were at the house and spent some time gathering evidence.
Detective Sergeant Larry Grimshaw from Cranbourne CIU said it appeared the woman had been drugged and raped before petrol was poured around the house and set fire to. A man then stole the woman’s car and drove to Cranbourne. Both the woman and her young daughter managed to escape after jumping out a bedroom window. The girl was unharmed.
Senior Sergeant Bernie Kaminski of Cranbourne CIU said on Friday that the injured woman remained in hospital in Melbourne receiving treatment for burns suffered in the incident.
The Healesville man was remanded in custody to appear at a committal mention on 17 July at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.