Man pleads guilty to arson and assault against business partner

A North Adelaide man was committing an act of retribution against his business partner when he set fire to his building and caused more than $1.5 million worth of damage, a court has heard.

Joseph Chehade, 39, pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, aggravated assault and arson after he targeted his business partner during a two-week crime spree in July 2024.

The court heard Chehade had been in custody since July 27, 2024, when he was arrested for setting fire to the complex containing the Oxford Hotel at 107 O'Connell Street in North Adelaide.

On Monday prosecutor Matt DeLorme told the District Court that Chehade's offending began weeks before the fire and that he targeted businesses part-owned by Walter Ventura, as well as his home.

Mr DeLorme said Chehade smashed the windows of the family home before he assaulted Mr Ventura in the presence of his wife and children.

"In my submission it should not be suggested that this was a business partner rocking up to his business partner's house, getting in an argument that ultimately goes wrong," Mr DeLorme told the court.

"One of his children … rang Triple-0 in a state of panic and on that Triple-0 call the child can be heard yelling, 'Please come quickly, there's a man in my house and he's trying to kill my dad.'

"That paints a picture, your honour, [of] just how terrifying this was."

The court heard the duo had entered a business venture and were operating out of the complex, which was where Chehade lived.

The relationship soured after Chehade's victim announced he would be selling the premises, the court was told.

During sentencing submissions today Judge Anthony Allen highlighted the fact that Chehade had carried out the assault in the presence of his victim’s family.

"Not only [is] the victim himself likely to have been traumatised, but the presence of the children in the house is most unacceptable," he said.

Judge Allen also commented on the "bruising to the [victim's] arm, to the back and to the side", and said it appeared "particularly nasty".

Mr DeLorme told the court Chehade had been arrested for that offending but was released on bail.

He said police attended the O'Connell Street address following Chehade's release and noticed damage to the property.

"Inside, they find the interior of the property graffitied, including things written such as 'f*** you,'" Mr DeLorme told the court.

He said the words "you lied to me" were also written on the wall, and that the property was set alight 12 days later.

"In my submission, he should be sentenced on the basis that this offence was committed intending to damage property and intending to do so as an act of retribution against [the victim], but, as I say, not that he was intending to burn the entire place to the ground," he told the court.

"The fire damage caused was in excess of $1.5 million."

'A predator in the same place'

Chehade's representative Adam Richards submitted to the court that his client's offending was "not an act of retribution", and that the fire started after he had been playing with matches before he went to bed.

"[The] fire wasn't deliberately lit … he'd been in bed," Mr Richards said.

He told the court it would be a "foolish thing" to light a fire while "you're undressed and in bed".

"He'd gone to bed and was awoken by smoke," he told the court.

But Mr DeLorme said CCTV footage showed Chehade had arrived at the property at 6:45am and left at 6:59am.

He said Chehade then approached a member of the public and asked them to call the fire department.

Mr DeLorme also said accelerant was detected at the property.

When questioned by Judge Allen about the presence of accelerant, Mr Richards said that "repeatedly, he [Chehade] has said he has no memory of lighting the fire at all".

Mr Richards said his client was "remorseful" that he had attacked his victim in the earlier incident at the family home.

"[He is] deeply embarrassed for what occurred in relation to the children," he told the court.

"Nonetheless, nothing that occurred between them, in the course of the business struggling, will justify what occurred. And my client doesn't try to do so for one moment."

Mr Richards said Chehade considered his victim "a friend as well as a business partner, which adds to his remorse".

"When you're a guest in someone's home and you eat a meal in the house and then you become a predator in the same place, it's challenging," he told the court.

Chehade will be sentenced next month.