The damage bill for Thomas Dunn’s crime spree across Gunnedah is estimated at more than $400,000 after he set two homes in Hopedale Avenue and Wandobah Road alight in December 2012 and February 2013.

But ironically, Dunn was the one who called the fire brigade to alert them to the Hopedale Avenue home blaze because he “felt bad”.

Dunn told a sentencing hearing he thought he had a tendency to light fires when he drank alcohol but District Court Judge Colin Charteris said it was a “deplorable” act.

The serial arsonist who had a history of lighting fires broke into the empty homes and stole property such as bikes, hiding his fingerprints by using gloves.

Strike Force Toni was set up by Gunnedah detectives, backed up by investigators from the State Crime Command’s property crime squad to find those responsible for the string of suspicious fires.

After a month-long investigation, investigators honed in on Dunn and he was arrested in April last year, charged with the break-ins, house fires and torching a Toyota Coaster bus.

Dunn admitted his actions were a “foolish mistake” after the Crown said burning a perfectly habitable home down for the destruction of fingerprints was “appalling”.

Dunn pleaded guilty to aggravated break-and-enter, two counts of breaking into a home and destroying the property and maliciously damaging property by fire.

Judge Charteris sentenced Dunn to six years behind bars dating back to June last year with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years. 

He will be eligible for parole in December, 2016.