Former jumping castle business owner pleads guilty to arson campaign charges

Former jumping castle business owner James Balcombe has this week pleaded guilty to 11 counts of conspiracy to commit arson, arising from a series of attacks against rival business owners in the greater Melbourne area between December 2016 and February 2017.

Balcombe admitted he was responsible for attacks made on businesses in Werribee, Tullamarine, Hallam, Keysborough, Hoppers Crossing and Warragul, based on a belief that rival bouncy castle hire operators had copied his business ideas and were offering cheaper rates.

He enlisted a former employee and that man’s schoolmate - one a petty criminal with a drug addiction and the other who faced mounting vet bills for a beloved dog - and offered them $2000 for every competitor they firebombed.

During the three-month period, the pair undertook multiple arson attacks on five businesses.

As reported by Melbourne newspaper The Age, the arsonists recruited a third man for the early attacks. But when two of the trio pulled out, the drug addict continued throwing Molotov cocktails over fences and through windows. The Court of Appeal later labelled him an “arsonist for hire”.

Most attacks caused either little or no damage, but one at A&A Jumping Castles destroyed at least $1.2 million of property, including the warehouse, a van, jumping castles, a mechanical bull, stretch limo, merry-go-round and go-karts.

The arson campaign ended with a blaze at Balcombe’s Kangaroo Ground property after he instructed his firestarter how to torch his Awesome Party Hire storage shed. Balcombe’s aim was reportedly to divert suspicion, and he told Victoria Police the damage bill would be $1.2 million.

Later, he was accused of trying to fraudulently claim an insurance payout.

The conspiracy deflated over following weeks. The three associates, not named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty and in a County Court hearing were jailed.

The main arsonist was jailed for almost 12 years, but that term was cut on appeal to 8½ years (5½ years non-parole).

Other allegations against Balcombe included him having trolled a competitor’s website and waged a cyber attack against another business, with Victorian Police traced a hacker to an IP address in Qatar.

In 2018, while on bail awaiting trial, Balcombe absconded. He spent more than a year at large until his arrest in the Perth suburb of Dianella last year, by which time he was operating another amusement hire business under an alias.

In addition, the Australian Federal Police arrested him over a fake postage stamp scam.

Convicted and fined by a Perth magistrate for that offence, he was extradited to Victoria and hit with a short jail term for using a fake doctor’s letter to excuse him from a previous court appearance.

Aged 57 and remaining in custody, this week, after months of negotiations between his lawyers and prosecutors, he pleaded guilty.

Balcombe will be sentenced next year.

Images: James Balcombe (top, credit: Victoria Police) and Balcombe being arrested in Perth by the Australian Federal Police (below, credit: Australian Federal Police).