A Bomaderry man charged with murder pleads not guilty in Nowra Court

Harley Thompson, 26, appeared from custody via video link on July 26. He is charged with one count of murder and three counts of damage to property.

In documents presented to the court, police alleged Thompson set fire to a property on Leonard Street Bomaderry in August 2020 after a confrontation with the property owner, a 49-year-old man.

According to the documents, Thompson smashed multiple windows at the property with a hammer, before damaging the car on the property by smashing its lights. Thompson then poured petrol into the home before setting it alight.

A recording of an interview between Thompson and two detectives, that took place the day after the alleged incident, was played for Justice Michael Walton in court.

In the recording, Thompson confessed to smashing the windows of the property and damaging the car after the confrontation with the 49-year-old man, however he declined to admit lighting the fire, stating, "No, I did not light the fire. How could I? I didn't have a lighter or nothing."

In the recording, the detectives claimed the 49-year-old male phoned police, stating Thompson was pouring petrol into the house and had thrown a fire bomb through a smashed windows. The man was later found deceased at the property.

Crown prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe told Justice Walton that police documents referenced discussions Thompson had with psychiatric doctors Kerrie Eagle and Andrew Ellis since the incident.

The two doctors, who joined the court via video link, said Thompson admitted to lighting the property on fire and that he had not been honest in his initial interview with detectives.

According to police documents presented to the court, Thompson told the psychiatric doctors: "Then I thought, f*** this c***, and set fire to the house and went window by window until I knew he was dead. He was a paedophile."

Police documents also noted that witnesses at the scene of the fire heard a male voice yelling "Burn c***, burn".

Thompson said in the recording of the interview with the detectives that neighbours and witnesses on the street told police who attended the scene that Thompson had lit the fire.

He also told detectives in the recording he had been diagnosed with mental health issues, including schizophrenia and depression, and he had not taken medication for these issues for two months.

The court was told that Thompson was on ice at the time of the incident. Thompson said in the recording with the detectives he would take the illicit substance to calm himself.

Dr Eagle confirmed via the video link to the court that she had made the diagnosis of schizophrenia on August 6, 2021. "That psychotic disorder resulted in delusions and impairments in his thinking and disturbance in his thoughts," she said.

Dr Ellis said that Thompson had informed him he had been hearing a voice in his head since he were 23 years old and had intrusive thoughts about murder.

Thompson remains in custody. The hearing continues.