Clontarf, Queensland: Home of slain teen Angus Beaumont’s family destroyed in fire
The family of murdered teenager Angus Beaumont have been dealt another devastating blow after their Queensland home was destroyed in an attack claimed to be arson.
Emergency services were called to a fire at the home of Ben Beaumont and Michelle Liddle in Clontarf, north of Brisbane, at around 2pm on Saturday.
A Queensland Fire Brigade spokesman said the flames spread to two adjacent houses before being brought under control by fire crews, who remained at the scene until the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 36-year-old man, who police allege used an accelerant to set the house on fire before fleeing the scene, was arrested a short time later and has since been charged with arson.
It is another devastating loss for the couple, whose 15-year-old son Angus was fatally stabbed in 2020.
Mr Beaumont’s sister, Mandy Beaumont, said the house had grown “pretty quickly” and the family was lucky to survive.
“I’m here in tears, shaking, and I don’t know how to fix this,” she said in an online fundraiser to help the family rebuild.
“I think I will never be able to and this loss is an immeasurable one for our family.
“I know Angus’s ashes are kept in an urn in the hall, along with a large, beautifully framed picture of him, and I don’t know if they had time to recover him.”
Ms Beaumont said the family appeared to have “lost everything”.
“He’s a gardener and all his trucks are gone too,” he said.
Ms Beaumont told the Courier-Mail the family had “been there forever”.
“This is where Angus and his other brother grew up and I know it’s a small thing, but it’s also devastating after the loss of Angus,” he said.
Investigations into the fire continue.
The man charged in connection with the fire is expected to appear at Redcliffe Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
