A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder following a fatal unit fire on the New South Wales Central Coast. The body of a 77-year-old woman was discovered in the lounge room of her Bateau Bay unit on Sunday night.
Emergency services were called to Melissa Close at about 9:30pm on Sunday. Police are treating the death as suspicious, with initial inquiries indicating the woman suffered severe burns. A post-mortem examination will determine her identity and cause of death.
The man was initially arrested at Chittaway on Sunday on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated domestic violence offence. He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with that warrant. On Monday, he was charged with damage by fire/explosion over $15,000 in relation to the unit fire, and later with murder.
Homicide detectives and fire investigators have been examining the scene. Superintendent Chad Gillies described the death as a tragedy, while Superintendent Adam Dewberry noted that the fire appeared to have burned out oxygen and self-extinguished. Investigators are checking whether a smoke alarm was present and working.
The man has been refused bail and is due to appear in Bail Division Local Court 6 on Tuesday, August 26.
