10-year-old faces Bunbury Children’s Court over bus fire, 13-year-old alleged co-accused

A 10-year-old child has appeared in court charged with deliberately destroying a bus by fire. The child, who cannot be named, appeared in Bun-bury Children’s Court on Friday when he stood accused of two counts of criminal damage by fire. It was alleged the child set fire to a baby-changing table inside a public toilet in Withers on May 21 while there were other children present. It was further alleged he then set fire to a PCYC bus while other children were present in the same suburb a day later. The bus was used by the Bunbury Police and Community Youth Centre to pick up and drop off young people who used the service. The matters were adjourned for police to pass on the evidentiary material to the boy’s lawyers, with his next appearance due on September 3. The boy’s bail was extended, with conditions that he abide by a night-time curfew and avoid contact with a 13-year-old boy, alleged to be the co-accused in the bus fire. The 13-year-old is due to appear in Bunbury Children’s Court on July 16.