‘Missing’ man charged over fire

By Callan Date
A NARRE Warren man originally feared dead in a house fire last week has been charged with the attempted murder of his parents.
Darko Tomic, 32, was arrested by police in New South Wales over the weekend and extradited to Melbourne by local detectives on Tuesday.
Police said Mr Tomic hitchhiked his way to NSW and was found in Campbelltown, about 50km south west of Sydney.
Uniform police arrested Mr Tomic near the scene of a car crash.
Police said the man underwent a psychiatric assessment while in NSW.
Mr Tomic has since been charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of arson and one of conduct endangering life.
He appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday) for a file hearing.
Police said Mr Tomic’s parents were not in court but were expected to support their son throughout his trial.
The court hearing follows a fire at a home in The Oaks, Narre Warren, on Tuesday 4 September in which Mr Tomic was initially thought to have died.
His parents escaped the blaze and were taken to Casey Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
A Country Fire Authority (CFA) official said Mr Tomic’s father attempted to gain access to his son’s bedroom but was driven back by the intense heat of the fire.
Both parents have since made a full recovery.
Police and CFA crews, with the aid of a search and rescue dog, conducted a painstaking three-day search of the rubble looking for any human remains.
After no body was found police began searching for Mr Tomic.
The burnt-out structure of the split-level house was being demolished by an excavator late last week.
Mr Tomic has been remanded in custody and will face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court again on 5 December.