AN ARMIDALE man has been arrested, accused of setting fire to a home, slashing a man’s tyres and threatening him with a fake firearm during a string of targeted incidents stemming back to November, last year.
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In a co-ordinated operation on Tuesday, detectives arrested the 29-year-old local at his workplace in Armidale at about 11.30am before raiding two properties.
The Leader was there as the raids unfolded and several items of interest were seized by investigators as part of the operation.
Following the searches of the properties, the man was taken to Armidale Police Station and questioned at length by detectives yesterday afternoon before he was charged with the four offences including arson, armed with intent and malicious damage.
In court, police will allege the man set fire to an Ash Tree Drive home in November last year where the victim was living at the time.
The house was destroyed by the blaze but no one was home at the time.
In February and March this year, the 29-year-old is accused of two counts of malicious damage after allegedly slashing tyres on two vehicles outside an Armidale home.
According to investigators, in a separate incident, the man then allegedly threatened the same victim with a replica firearm at a licensed hotel in Marsh Street in March.
The police operation was sparked in June after information from the public, and investigations over recent weeks culminated in Tuesday's arrest.
On Tuesday, police would not comment on the alleged motive behind the attacks.
The man was refused bail on Tuesday night and will front an out-of-sessions bail hearing in Armidale on Wednesday.
