A Chatham woman charged with deliberately setting a 120-unit Chatham housing complex on fire has been granted bail for a second time.
Erin Ott, 31, was charged with arson with disregard for human life in late August 2024 following an early morning fire on August 25, 2024 that displaced dozens of residents from their homes at 99 McNaughton Avenue West in Chatham.
Ott, who is also facing 15 counts of fraud related to another matter, will be released from the jail in London once a GPS ankle monitor is placed on her and is operational.
During a bail hearing in Chatham court on Tuesday, her mother pledged another $10,000 on top of the $3,500 previously promised to get her daughter out of jail at the end of October 2024 and must pay it if Ott breaks any of the bail conditions.
The judge placed Ott under house arrest at the House of Hope in Windsor to get treatment for her addiction to fentanyl.
Several other bail conditions were imposed, including wearing a GPS ankle monitor and having no contact with several people, including co-accused Leonard Greason, the two co-accused in the fraud allegations, and many of the displaced residents.
Ott is also banned from possessing incendiary devices and credit and debit cards that don't belong to her.
The court, full of displaced residents, heard Ott breached her original bail conditions last year by contacting a co-accused that she was ordered by the court to not contact. Her mother called the police and Ott cut off her ankle monitor and ran away.
Ott has spent nine months in custody and her mother and steadfast surety wants her daughter to get treatment to be able to live a full and meaningful life and be a good mother, adding her daughter has only been addicted for a couple of years.
This bail plan is not much different than the original plan, except for the rehab in Windsor instead of house arrest at her mother's house in Chatham. However, the defence said it's the highest bail plan available and takes public safety into account with strict conditions, adding Ott doesn't have a criminal record and is still innocent until proven guilty.
The defence also took the opportunity to tell the court that the prosecution has little proof to link Ott to the arson.
"The Crown is going to have a very tough time proving it [that Ott started the fire]. Being there and causing the fire are two totally different things. I would say this is not a strong case," said the defence.
The prosecution disagreed, saying there's "significant potential for conviction in this matter."
The prosecution also cited some concerns about releasing Ott on bail, such as Ott being in Windsor for treatment and her mother and surety living in Chatham along with no "significant" buy-in from Ott to attend Narcotics Anonymous programs while she was in custody, although she is taking medication to treat her opioid use disorder.
"I believe what you have before the court is her mother's plan. I'm not sure how committed Miss Ott is to this plan," noted the prosecution.
The prosecution also said Ott should not be re-released because she was trusted before and broke public confidence by breaching her bail and caused loss and trauma for the displaced residents.
The defence replied by saying the arson trial will likely conclude in mid-2026 and Ott will have lost too much of her liberty if she is found not guilty and remains in custody.
The judge told the court that bail can't be denied for a person presumed innocent without just cause, adding he was satisfied that Ott's mother is a suitable surety and the defence met its onus.
The judge added Ott will be released into a very structured and secure treatment program at House of Hope in Windsor.
Ott's case will return to Chatham court on November 3, 2025 for a trial confirmation hearing.
Ott's co-accused, 48-year-old Leonard Greason of London, is also facing a charge of arson with disregard for human life in connection with the fire.
He remains in custody and is up for a bail hearing on Wednesday.
A publication ban prohibits the publication of any evidence heard in the two cases.