Arson guilty plea after woman disables smoke alarms, burns public housing
Brandii Battese pleaded guilty to arson after months of disabling smoke alarms and burning her Launceston home.
The 23-year-old, who was living in Homes Tasmania property on Mt Stuart Drive, disabled all smoke alarms in the months before the September 2025 blaze. Brandii Battese's defence lawyer said she believed the detectors contained hidden cameras.
On the night of the fire, Battese messaged a friend: "Haha, I'm about to burn this house down." She then lit an armchair on fire and left the house.
The blaze caused an estimated $200,000 in damage and made the property uninhabitable. Firefighters extinguished the fire at 2am.
She told people about the fire afterward, which led one to call emergency services. The Supreme Court heard her guilty plea on October 16, 2026.
Battese was 23 at the time of the offence and had a difficult upbringing. Sentencing was adjourned to October 19.
- $200,000
- Estimated fire damage
- 23 years old
- Age at time of offence
- 2am
- Fire extinguished time
- October 16, 2026
- Guilty plea date
Why it mattersThe case shows how deliberate arson destroys public housing stock and the risks posed by disabling safety systems.
AustraliaA Tasmanian public housing property was deliberately destroyed, raising questions about tenant vetting and property protection in the social housing system.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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