ARSON charges have been dropped against the man accused of breaking into a doctors' surgery and damaging it on Australia Day.
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Andrew Robert Gillebaard appeared via video link from custody in Tamworth Local Court on Wednesday, and admitted to a single break and enter and destroy property charge.
The court heard prosecutors had already dropped two charges and had withdrawn the final arson allegation following Gillebaard's guilty plea, after police alleged he started a small fire inside the surgery.
Solicitor Rayshele Martin from the state prosecuting authority, the DPP, said lawyers on both sides had largely agreed on the police facts in the case and it would be resolved by the time the matter came back to court.
Magistrate Julie Soars accepted the guilty plea and asked Ms Martin and Legal Aid defence solicitor Wendy McAuliffe if a date could be set for Gillebaard to be sentenced.
"From my view, yes, Your Honour," Ms McAuliffe said.
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The court heard Gillebaard had already spent seven months behind bars, after he was arrested in the hours after the alleged break and enter in January.
Ms McAuliffe said the defence was seeking its own specialist medical report in preparation for sentencing proceedings.
"It will be a far more nuanced report than what community corrections would be able to give," she said.
Ms Soars said she would still order a sentencing report to see what community corrections could do for the accused once he was out of prison.
She was hopeful that both reports would "assist the court".
The case was adjourned until October for preparations to be made.
Ms McAuliffe requested Gillebaard appear in person on the next occasion. Ms Soars said it would depend on pandemic restrictions.
"I will bring you to Tamworth court if I can, that's just subject to the COVID issues and anything worsening," she told Gillebaard.
"Yes, thank you Your Honour," he replied.
Gillebaard was arrested shortly after emergency services were called to reports of a break-in and small fire at a medical practice in the Robert Street shopping area before dawn on January 26.
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