A man with schizophrenia pleaded guilty to arson at a Melbourne synagogue, claiming he thought it was a house, and was released on bail with mental health support and restrictions.

Angelo Loras, 35, pleaded guilty to setting fire to the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation’s entrance on July 5, causing $54,000 in damage and nearly injuring himself, with up to 20 people inside. He told police he believed the building was a residence, not a synagogue, and admitted to experiencing hallucinations due to schizophrenia, which improved on medication during custody. Magistrate Malcolm Thomas acknowledged Loras did not intend to target the synagogue, criticized his solitary confinement as unjustified, and ruled he had served the equivalent of a 134-day sentence. Loras was released on bail with a community corrections order, a 100-meter exclusion zone from the synagogue, and access to housing and mental health support through a court-integrated program. He is to return for formal sentencing.