A property developer who admitted to his role in an inferno that razed a $24m Sydney waterfront mansion has been jailed, waving to loved ones inside a courtroom on Friday as he was taken off to prison.
Steve Nassif, 71, learnt his fate in Sydney’s Central District Court after he was arrested in December 2022 over his role in an arson attack that reduced a luxury heritage-listed north shore estate to rubble.
Earlier this year, Nassif pleaded guilty to one count of destroying property by fire after the Cliff Rd, Northwood heritage-listed mansion went up in flames in September 2022.
It took a team of 50 firefighters more than an hour to put out the inferno after flames as high as 20m terrified neighbours.
The six-bedroom home was owned by property developer Ouyang “Owen” Chen, who is not accused of any wrongdoing.
He bought the house, which boasted spectacular views of the Lane Cove River, Sydney’s CBD and Anzac Bridge, a tennis court, boathouse, and an orchard, on Sydney’s lower north shore for $24.1m in 2021.
Nassif and his then 19-year-old accomplice Adams Kipkosgei Bett mounted their first arson attempt in August 2021.
The court was told the men bought more than 56 litres of petrol before Bett entered the house; however, at the last minute, he backed out of the plan to burn it down.
Earlier this year, Nassif pleaded guilty to one count of destroying property by fire after the Cliff Rd, Northwood heritage-listed mansion went up in flames in September 2022
The pair ultimately went through with it on September 3, 2022, with Nassif acting as the getaway driver and Bett lighting the fire.
They purchased 36 litres of petrol in a red plastic jerry can before Bett entered the house and sparked the blaze just after 10.40pm, with a bright glow emanating from within.
Within ten minutes, neighbouring properties had to be evacuated and emergency services received more than 30 triple-0 calls.
“No doubt it is unrepairable,” District Court Judge Grant Brady SC said in his sentencing remarks on Friday.
Nassif was captured on CCTV driving his campervan away from the scene before the vehicle was found at his Blue Mountains home when he was arrested in December 2022
Nassif was captured on CCTV driving his campervan away from the scene before the vehicle was found at his Blue Mountains home when he was arrested in December 2022.
A development application to demolish the property was recently refused by council.
Bett did not receive any money for lighting the fire, the court was told, nor was he threatened.
And Judge Brady said Nassif’s motivation was unclear.
Judge Brady, in his sentencing remarks, said it was only the quick thinking of neighbours, who alerted emergency services, that prevented the fire spreading to neighbouring properties.
“There was a very real risk of the fire spreading and a very real danger to other homes,” Judge Brady said.
The $24m Northwood mansion was destroyed in the 2022 blaze. Picture: 9News
Nassif’s barrister Anthony Strik, during his submissions to the court on Friday morning, said there was evidence that Nassif was suffering from a “dementing illness” and argued that there were sentencing alternatives to full-time jail.
He argued that Nassif could be sentenced to an intensive corrections order to be served in the community.
He was facing a maximum period of imprisonment of 10 years.
Judge Brady took into account Nassif’s early guilty plea, his clean criminal history, his expressions of remorse and good prospects of rehabilitation.
However, he said there was no other alternative to full-time imprisonment given the seriousness of the offence.
Judge Brady on Friday sentenced Nassif to two years and seven months in prison, with a one year and four month non-parole period.
It means he will first be eligible for release from custody on parole in December next year.
Nassif, dressed in a dark suit, on Friday waved to loved ones in the court as he was led away by Corrective Services officers.
Bett, 21, pleaded guilty to intentionally damaging property over his role in lighting the blaze.
He was on Friday afternoon sentenced to two years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.
With time served he is eligible for immediate release on parole.