A Newcastle woman accused of deliberately lighting fires at a bank and a massage parlour on one of the city's busiest streets has been released from custody after the NSW Supreme Court granted her bail to enter a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.
Alleged Beaumont Street fires caused smoke inhalation
Sharlene Williams, 37, from Hamilton South, is accused of using pieces of cardboard to set fire to the exterior of the National Australia Bank building and the adjacent Shenti massage parlour on Beaumont Street, Hamilton. The alleged arson attack occurred in the early hours of June 28, 2025, between 5am and 6am.
Emergency services were called as the blaze spread rapidly through the wall and into the roof cavity of the building. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire, but not before a 63-year-old woman inside the massage parlour suffered smoke inhalation and required treatment from paramedics at the scene.
Newcastle police allege they identified Williams as the person who started the fire against the building's exterior before fleeing. She was arrested at a unit on Fowler Street in Hamilton South the following day and charged with intentionally or recklessly damaging property by fire.
Six-month wait in custody for forensic report
Williams was initially refused bail in the local court in June. Although she had indicated an intention to plead guilty, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) took over the case, moving it into the Early Appropriate Guilty Plea (EAGP) stream. This legal process meant Williams could not formally enter a plea until procedural steps were completed.
As a result, Williams spent the last six months in custody while waiting for police to finalise and serve a forensic report. The matter was mentioned again in Newcastle Local Court last week and adjourned until February 2026.
Supreme Court grants bail for rehabilitation pathway
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Williams' legal team successfully applied for bail in the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney. Her lawyers argued she had been accepted into a residential rehabilitation program and could be placed under strict house arrest for approximately one month until a bed became available.
Despite Williams' lengthy criminal history, which includes multiple convictions for failing to appear in court, the DPP did not oppose the bail application. Justice Julia Lonergan granted bail subject to a suite of strict conditions.
The bail conditions imposed by the Supreme Court include:
- House arrest at her Hamilton South address.
- A requirement to report daily to Newcastle police.
- Strict prohibitions on consuming alcohol or using illicit drugs.
- A mandate to commence the residential rehabilitation program as soon as a bed is available.
The motive for the alleged arson remains unclear, according to police statements before the court. Williams is expected to return to court in the new year as her case progresses through the justice system.
