Rozelle shopkeeper's charges downgraded

Prosecutors have downgraded two attempted murder charges against a Sydney shopkeeper accused of sparking a deadly fire.

A Sydney shopkeeper accused of sparking a fire that killed three people including a mother and her baby boy has had two of his more than 20 charges downgraded.

Prosecutors have changed two attempted murder charges against Adeel Khan to lesser charges of reckless wounding and recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, Central Local Court heard on Tuesday.

However Khan remains accused of murdering Bianka O'Brien, 31, her one-year-old boy Jude, and their neighbour Chris Noble, 27, by deliberately lighting a fire which caused a massive explosion at his Rozelle convenience store last September.

The altered charges relate to Mr Noble's two flatmates, Todd Fisher and Corey Cameron, according to a charge sheet.

Both men were injured in the explosion.

The matter was adjourned until July 9 after the court heard Khan had recently applied for Legal Aid and changed legal representation.

Khan's lawyer told the court Legal Aid had come into the matter in mid-April and that her firm had received only part of the brief of evidence.

"We're back to the beginning are we?" asked magistrate Les Mabbutt on Tuesday.


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Source: AAP


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