By Kath Gannaway
A 52-YEAR-OLD Healesville man appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday on a range of charges including rape, attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, arson and other assault charges.
The charges relate to an incident in the early hours of Anzac Day.
CFA units from Healesville and Badger Creek were called to a house fire around 2.30am and managed to contain the blaze to the main bedroom.
Healesville CFA secretary John McKenzie said the fire started in the doorway of the master bedroom at the front of the house.
It is believed the female occupant of the house had fled the fire by the time the brigade arrived and was with a neighbour.
The property was declared a crime scene a short time later after a man handed himself in to police at Cranbourne.
By 9.30am members of the police arson squad were at the house and spent some time gathering evidence.
Senior Sgt Bernie Kaminski of Cranbourne CIU said on Friday that the injured woman remained in hospital in Melbourne receiving treatment for burns suffered in the incident.
The man was remanded in custody to appear at a committal mention on 17 July in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
