Boxing champ who was mentored by Jeff Fenech burnt down his father’s house just after his grandmother died
- Jamie Bogovic has admitted to setting his father’s house on fire
- Former boxer was worried after the death of his grandmother
- Bogovic, 35, was previously coached by Jeff Fenech
A former star boxer who was mentored by Jeff Fenech has admitted setting fire to his father’s house after the death of his grandmother.
Jamie Bogovic, 35, pleaded guilty at the County Court on Tuesday to arson, theft and trespassing and has been remanded in custody until May 17.
Fenech took Bogovic under his wing in 2015, with Australia’s greatest boxer impressed by the talent’s unbeaten record of six wins and no defeats.
His motto was ‘train hard and win easy’ and there was a genuine belief that Bogovic had the qualities to become a world champion.
However, Bogovic’s boxing career fell apart when he started taking ice. He then proceeded to commit a series of criminal offences.
Jamie Bogovic has admitted to setting his father’s house on fire last year
Bogovic was once considered a smart boxing talent, but his life went off the rails
The court is now investigating the Court Integrated Services Program (CISP) to see if other assistance is available for the 35-year-old. accept that prison and community corrections orders have not worked in the past.
Bogovic was living in his father’s house in Narre Warren with Tony Levanic and Roy Levanic when he set it on fire on the evening of April 22, 2023.
Bogovic was spotted in the kitchen by Tony Levanic earlier that same day in an anxious and agitated state after learning of his elderly grandmother’s death.
Later, at 7.40pm, CCTV captured Bogovic walking towards the house. Once inside, he doused the living room with gasoline and set it on fire before leaving the building.
About half an hour later, a man called 000 and said he had witnessed Bogovic running across the street and over fences of neighboring properties.
Bogovic’s father and sister arrived to find the house on fire and the former boxer behaving erratically.
Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech had taken Bogovic under his wing for a while
He told the firefighters: ‘Let’s go, hurry, the house is on fire. Pull the damn gate and get in.”
When a police officer told him to calm down or be handcuffed, Bogovic got up and ran away.
Bogovic later returned to the scene at 3:45 a.m. the next day. CCTV captured him hiding behind bushes as police conducted their investigation.
As a result of the fire, the rear half of the house was seriously damaged, with most of the roof structure in the rear living room having collapsed.
He was also charged with theft and trespass in connection with stealing bottles of Crown Lager from the outdoor refrigerator of a neighboring property.