A bikie has been charged with manslaughter and arson after setting fire to a Sydney pub and killing his mate in the process.
Scott Keighran, 30, and Harley McKenna, 29, were evicted from O’Donoghue’s Irish Pub around 8pm on 9 June. The pair returned about six hours later with a bucket of petrol, which they threw through a window and lit.
The result was an explosion that seriously injured them both and set fire to that part of the pub, which happened to be a cool-room.
Police and fire crews arrived shortly after, and found McKenna in the carpark. He was treated at the scene and taken to Royal North Shore Hospital, but died around 9pm that evening from his injuries.
Keighran, an alleged member of Rebels OMCG, was later located in his home in nearby Avoca Street. He was taken to Concord Hospital’s Burns Unit where he remains under guard and is receiving ongoing treatment.
He has since been charged with manslaughter over the death of McKenna, destroying property by fire, and breach of bail conditions. He was refused bail and will appear in Penrith court today (29 July).
It took firefighters around 45 minutes to contain the blaze. The cost to the pub, considering damages and lost revenue, is estimated at $500,000 and $1 million. The operators report it would have been higher had the fire been in adjacent rooms.
Thankfully, the fire was contained to the cool-room and the hotel resumed trading the same day.
