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Updated ,first published
Tragedy has again struck the family of slain Redcliffe teenager Angus Beaumont, with police charging a relative of the family with arson after their home – and two others – were burnt to the ground.
On Sunday, Nine News reported that 36-year-old Dakabin man Corey Wardle, Angus’s maternal half-brother who runs a yard maintenance business, has been identified the alleged arsonist.
Angus was 15 years old when he was fatally stabbed in Redcliffe on March 13, 2020. Now his aunty, author Mandy Beaumont, has confirmed the family has fallen victim to another alleged crime.
The blaze has left Ben Beaumont, Angus’s mother Michelle Liddle and their other son homeless, Mandy said as she launched a GoFundMe appeal to help her family.
“It was an [alleged] arson attack while they were in their house – my brother, his partner, and their son. It looks like they’ve lost everything,” she said.
“This on top of [Angus’s murder] is just too much … I don’t know what’s left of the house.
“Angus’s ashes are in the house, and I don’t know what’s to come of them, but it looks pretty bad.”
Police allege Wardle used an accelerant to set fire to one house on Weaber Street in Clontarf at 1.50pm on Saturday before fleeing.
By 3pm, 12 fire trucks were on the scene to contain the blaze, which spread to two neighbouring houses, destroying them too.
Police declared a public safety exclusion zone at 2.10pm, urging people to stay inside with the windows shut.
The area included Watson, Isobel and Enoch streets, Gerald Avenue, Wendy Crescent, Bright Avenue and Cornelius Street.
The emergency declaration was revoked at 4.20pm.
Wardle was later located by the police dog squad, and officers confirmed no one was injured in the incident.
He has been charged with arson (domestic violence) and is due to appear in court on Monday, June 1.
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au), national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
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