Former resident allegedly lit fatal Sydney boarding house fire
The man accused of lighting a Sydney boarding house on fire, killing three people inside, is a former resident, police allege.
Richard Hotoran has been charged with torching the building in Newtown while 11 people were inside in the early hours of yesterday.
The 45-year-old handed himself into Surry Hills Police Station last night and told officers he was one of the residents unaccounted for.
He was charged with three counts of murder and one count of destroying property by fire.
Today Mr Hotoran stayed in the cells as his matter went before court, and his lawyer didn’t apply for his bail.
Police are now focused on recovering the two bodies which remain on the second-storey of the burnt-out building as it is still too “structurally unsound” for crews to safely recover them.
Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said earlier police are unable to rule out the possibility of further deaths.
“The premises is still structurally unsound,” Mr Bennet said.
“We confirmed there are three deceased. We don’t know if there are more.”
Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter also said today the man had a “connection” to the boarding house.
“We would be suggesting that at some stage, in recent times, he has been an occupant of the boarding house,” he said.
However, a motive behind the alleged crime is yet to be established.
The blaze engulfed the boarding house on the corner of Probert and Albermarle streets about 1am yesterday.
The building was well alight and sustained significant structural damage before being extinguished by fire crews.
Assistant Commissioner Cotter described the “horrible explosion” as a “tragic event”, leaving a number of residents homeless.
Eight residents managed to escape the building, with three people taken to hospital.
An 80-year-old man remains in a critical condition at the Royal North Shore Hospital after suffering a heart attack upon arrival.
Another man remains in a stable condition at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, while a third man was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital, but he has since been released.
Police said investigations continue.
