Johnn Francis Maksimovic: Arsonist admits to lighting Perth fires but pleads not guilty on “cultural” defence

A Perth man who admitted to lighting three fires has pleaded not guilty to two of them on the basis that he thought no one was around and he was doing it for “cultural” reasons. Johnn Francis Maksimovic appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on April 3 via video link from Casuarina Prison, charged with six offences from October to November last year. On November 23, 2024, the 53-year-old lit a fire in the Perth suburb of Kwinana Beach. The following day, he stole a car from Perth Airport and on November 26 he stole another car in Albany, damaging it as he tried to break in. He also admitted to lighting two more fires — one in Bibra Lake on October 21, 2024 and another in Coogee on October 21 or 22. However, he told the court he was entering pleas of not guilty because he believed there was nobody in the vicinity who could have been injured by either blaze. He also told Magistrate Erin O’Donnell he was lighting native plants on fire for necessary “cultural” reasons, as a proud Indigenous man who wanted to keep his cultural traditions. Mr Maksimovic, who is currently in custody in Casuarina Prison, complained about the length of time he was spending in prison, however Ms O’Donnell said there was nothing more she could do ahead of his District Court appearance. He pleaded guilty to wilfully lighting a fire likely to injure or damage, criminal damage, and two counts of stealing a motor vehicle, and not guilty to two counts of wilfully lighting a fire likely to injure or damage. He will return to Albany Magistrates Court on June 19 for the Bibra Lake and Coogee fires, the criminal damage and motor vehicle thefts, and appear in Albany District Court on June 25 for a sentence mention on the Kwinana Beach fire.