A duo accused of firebombing a Mildura tobacco shop have faced court after their arrest on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The police's Arson and Explosives squad brought 12 charges against Sebastopol man Timothy Cakebread, 32, and Flemington woman Taylah Hellmuth-Hassett, 23, including criminal damage by arson, burglary and car theft among others.
Both appeared in custody at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Friday to apply for bail, after their arrests a day earlier in Wendouree.
At the bail hearing, the court heard from arson squad detective senior constable Ian Walk, who outlined the police's case against Cakebread and Hellmuth-Hassett.
Alleged car thefts in Melbourne
Police alleged the duo's crime spree began on May 26, when they stole a 2021 Volvo wagon and a 2009 Toyota Prado from an address in Balwyn.
The pair were allegedly linked to a burglary in Malvern between May 29 and 30, where the offenders took off with a 2011 Range Rover and a debit card.
Police said the stolen card was later used at service stations in Malvern and South Melbourne to purchase petrol.
Between May 30 and 31, Cakebread was alleged to have broken into a Bulleen address via a rear unlocked door, where he took a 2021 Subaru Outback and a handbag with bank and identification cards.
Between May 31 and June 1, Cakebread was alleged to have stolen the number plates of a 2018 Range Rover from an Armidale address, and to have stolen the plates of a Subaru Outback from a Footscray address between June 1 and 2.
He was later allegedly spotted on June 3 filling the stolen Range Rover with petrol at a service station in Delacombe.
On the same day, the stolen Subaru Outback with stolen plates was alleged to have been seen on the Western Highway by a heavy vehicle gantry camera speeding at 175km/h near Ballan.
'Small explosion' at tobacconist
Cakebread was allegedly spotted on CCTV filling up the stolen Subaru at a Redcliff service station at about 1.55am on June 4, the day of the alleged arson attack.
At about 3.20am that morning, police alleged Cakebread backed the stolen Range Rover into the front of a tobacconist on Lime Avenue in Mildura.
CCTV allegedly showed Cakebread get out of the car, and pour fuel on the entrance and inside of the store.
Hellmuth-Hassett was allegedly shown on CCTV in a laneway nearby, believed to be standing watch.
Cakebread was said to have then set the fuel alight, causing a small explosion inside.
At 9.20am that morning, Cakebread was then allegedly seen on CCTV filling the stolen Subaru with $58.01 in petrol before driving off.
The following day, at about 5.20am, police accused the pair of stealing a Nissan Navara and a Mazda Cx9 from an address in Ballarat North, using the stolen Volvo as a getaway car.
The stolen Subaru was allegedly seen by police on June 6, parked at an address on Tulip Crescent in Wendouree.
Police attended the address later that morning, where they found and arrested both Cakebread and Hellmuth-Hassett.
Police said Cakebread was found hiding underneath a bed in possession of several stolen bank and identification cards. The stolen Mazda Cx9 was also allegedly found at the Tulip Crescent address.
A further search at Cakebread's mother's Sebastopol address where they allegedly found an outstanding stolen Toyota Kluger, stolen from Mickleham.
A white crystal substance was alleged to have been found in Cakebread's pocket, and $3090 in cash in a satchel in the back of his pants.
A similar white crystal substance and GHB was allegedly found on Hellmuth-Hassett.
Co-accused denied bail
Upon her arrest, Hellmuth-Hassett was said to have made partial admissions to her role in the alleged offending, however Cakebread made none.
Detective Walk said the police had matched both their phones to the locations of the alleged burglaries, and had "high quality" CCTV footage showing the pair committing the crimes.
Police said Cakebread posed a risk of further offending, having been released from prison on April 11, just weeks before the alleged offending began.
At Friday's hearing, Hellmuth-Hassett was represented by a legal aid lawyer, and Cakebread represented himself.
Detective Walk said there would be further charges to come for the pair, as the investigation continued and more pieces of evidence were forensically tested.
Two cars allegedly stolen by the pair remained outstanding - a Toyota Prado and a Nissan Navara.
Detective Walk said police were also investigating other potential co-offenders.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann denied both Cakebread and Hellmuth-Hassett bail.
The court heard Hellmuth-Hassett was on three counts of bail at the time of her arrest.
Upon hearing he was not getting bail, Cakebread rose up in the dock and began shouting at custody staff.
The pair will reappear in court on June 27.
