Teen, 18, who begged for donations to help family recover from bushfires is accused of lighting NINE blazes on her property – after her mother slammed police for not finding arsonist
- A Western Australian teen has been charged for arson after asking for donations
- Shahana Shadbolt, 18, shared pleas online for help recovery her fire-struck home
- Police now allege she lit the nine scrub fires and will appear in court February 24
A teenager has been charged with arson less than a month after asking for donations to help recover from fire damages.
Shahana Shadbolt, 18, faced Perth Magistrates Court earlier this week for an alleged ‘arson spree’ between January 9 and February 3 in Gidgegannup, 40km northeast of Perth.
Strike Force Vulcan officers allege Shadbolt purposefully lit nine of twelve scrub fires on her family’s rural property off Old Toodyay Road, The West Australian reported.
Shahana Shadbolt, 18, has been charged for an alleged ‘arson spree’ between January 9 and February 3 in Gidgegannup, 40km northeast of Perth
After allegedly lighting the fire Perth Now reports Shadbolt pled for donations to help replace $5000 worth of farming equipment, medication, and stock feed lost to fire damage through media outlets.
Two weeks ago Shadbolt’s mother, Melissa Shadbolt, said she was ‘very angry and very mad’ WA Police for failing to find the arson culprit.
‘I feel totally let down by the police, the system and the way it works,’ she told Echo News.
Shadbolt has been charged with nine counts of wilfully lit or cause to be lit a fire likely to injure or damage and one count of create false belief.
She is due to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on February 24.
After allegedly lighting the fire Shadbolt pled through media outlets for donations to help replace farming equipment and stock feed lost to fire damage
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