Trial begins for man accused of setting neighbour on fire

Angered by loud music late at night, a man has been accused of pouring accelerant over his neighbour and setting her on fire with a blowtorch.

Michael Gauci, 45, faced the first day of a Supreme Court jury trial on Tuesday accused of the attempted murder of his neighbour, Sharie Gray, and injuring two other neighbours, in December 2022.

He was allegedly out and his wife called him several times over the evening after neighbours were singing and playing loud music over the fence, prosecutors told the jury.

When Gauci returned home, after 1am on December 28, prosecutor Angela Moran said he picked up a blowtorch from his kitchen bench.

She alleged Gauci then argued with the neighbours over the fence and told one of the women, Gray, “come out the front to sort it out”.

Moran said Gray went to change and then confronted Gauci and his wife out the front, with two of Gray’s family members and a friend standing on the nature strip.

An altercation then ensued between Gray and Gauci’s wife.

Gauci grabbed a bucket from behind his front fence and then threw about one litre of liquid, which Moran alleged was a “pre-wash accelerant”, onto Gray’s face and upper body.

“After the liquid hit Ms Gray, the accused man – standing one metre away from her – ignites a blowtorch he was holding in his hand, causing it to emit a flame,” Moran said.

“Ms Gray catches fire, her whole head and upper body were on fire.”

She said Gray screamed and moved onto the grass, falling onto the ground, before police and paramedics were called.

Moran said her injuries were “acute and life-threatening” as 70 per cent of Gray’s body was burned, from her face to her thighs.

Gauci is charged with Gray’s attempted murder, but if the jury cannot find that beyond a reasonable doubt then they can find him guilty of an alternative charge of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence.

He is also facing two reckless conduct causing serious injury and endangering life for injuring two others in the incident.

However, Gauci’s barrister John Korn said his client – who has pleaded not guilty to all charges – contested many of the facts put by the prosecution and alleged Ms Gray was the aggressor.

Gauci denied he knew there was anything flammable in the bucket or that he was holding a blowtorch. He was holding a rifle in the hopes it would “scare them away”, Mr Korn said.

“There was a blowtorch that was discarded, he didn’t pick it up at that time,” he told the jury.

He said Gray was “spoiling for a fight” and Gauci just wanted to sort out the issue “civilly” without resorting to violence.

The trial before Justice Andrew Tinney continues.