Springvale bank fire: Alleged attacker seen gambling, student claims

Adam Carey, Richard Willingham, Carolyn Webb, Steve Lillebuen

The man accused of the Springvale Commonwealth Bank attack may have previously run out of money from gambling, it has been suggested.

Nur Islam remains in a critical condition in hospital, accused of injuring 26 people, including children, after allegedly setting himself on fire in the Springvale Road bank on Friday.

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CCTV shows moment before Springvale bank fire

Retrieving the accelerant he would use to set himself alight, CCTV from a local cafe shows the alleged arsonist moments before he entered the Springvale Commonwealth Bank. Vision courtesy Seven News, Melbourne.

Friends said Mr Islam was facing difficulty accessing Centrelink payments and his mental health had deteriorated in recent weeks.

But as police continue their investigation into the attack, a university student told Channel Seven on Sunday night he had witnessed Mr Islam playing poker machines until he ran out of money.

The student, identified only as Hasma, said the man, who told him he was from Myanmar, tried to sell him an iPhone worth $600 for $50 at the Vale Hotel in Springvale a few weeks ago.

"If that doesn't say desperation, I don't know what does," the student told Seven.

Hasma said the man, who he was convinced was Mr Islam, also asked to borrow money from him.

"He pulled out a Commonwealth Bank card and he was telling me he had $40 or $50 in his account. He said, 'I can come to the bank with you tomorrow - just lend me another $50'."

A victim of the Springvale fire nurses her injured son. Photo: Facebook/Sophie Mach

More details emerge about the financial state of the man accused of setting himself alight in a Springvale bank. https://t.co/D9fZDpxgPQ
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 20, 2016

One of Mr Islam's housemates told Fairfax Media that he did lend him an iPhone about a month ago, which Mr Islam said he had lost.

Suspect Nur Islam with police at the scene on Friday. Photo: Ernesto Gonzalez

But the flatmate said he had seen no evidence of Mr Islam ever gambling.

Habib, leader of the Australian Burmese Rohingya Organisation, said Mr Islam's sister was seriously ill in Myanmar, so it was possible that he wanted to raise money to send to her.

Evidence is recorded at the scene of the Commonwealth Bank fire in Springvale. Photo: Chris Hopkins

Police would not say if the student's claims about gambling were being taken seriously.

Acting Senior Sergeant Kris Hamilton said it remained an "active investigation" and, as such, police would not release any details on what did and did not form part of the inquiry.

The Springvale property where Nur Islam lives. Photo: Wayne Hawkins

Mr Islam was the most severely injured in the attack.

If he survives his injuries, he could face a range of charges, including arson and attempted murder.

A security guard in front of the gutted Springvale Commonwealth Bank on Sunday. Photo: Justin McManus

Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday urged calm in the wake of the arson attack, calling it a tragedy, not an act of terror.

"This is a tragedy," he said. "Nothing more, nothing less.

"There is nothing to suggest that there is a link between these terrible acts and any terrorist, or any of the ideology you might associate with terrorism."

There were scenes of chaos and horror on Friday after Mr Islam allegedly poured accelerant and set himself on fire in the crowded bank just before lunchtime, sparking an explosion that injured 26 bystanders, including children and the elderly.

Six people including Mr Islam were taken to The Alfred hospital.

A hospital spokesman said on Sunday one other patient remained in a critical but stable condition, three have been listed as stable and one has since been discharged.

Mr Islam, a member of Myanmar's persecuted Muslim-minority Rohingya population, is yet to be interviewed by police owing to the severity of his burns.

The attack took place inside Mr Andrews' Mulgrave electorate.

The Premier said Springvale was a "centre of kindness" that represented what was best about Australian multiculturalism.

Mr Islam lived in a Springvale share house with other asylum seekers.

He is on a bridging visa, having previously spent time on Christmas Island and inside a detention centre in Weipa. He came to Australia by boat as an unaccompanied minor.

His housemates said he had experienced difficulty accessing Centrelink payments and his mental health had deteriorated in recent weeks.

The bank branch on Springvale Road remained a crime scene on Sunday, watched over by a security guard, with a floral tribute out the front.

Commonwealth Bank Australia said that it had made a customer-liaison officer available for anyone who had been inside the bank on Friday.

In a statement, the company's group executive of retail banking services, Matt Comyn, said the bank remained concerned for the welfare of its customers and staff, 15 of whom were inside at the time of the fire.

"One staff member remains in hospital but is expected to be released soon," Mr Comyn said.

"Our managers were able to visit with the 14 other staff overnight and we will continue to support them and their families."

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