A person accused of murdering his spouse by setting her on fire had been ingesting on the afternoon of the alleged offence and was trying to find a “favorite knife” that day, courtroom paperwork reveal.
Kylie Griffiths, 36, died because of this of her accidents when her Albanvale state housing house in Melbourne was set on fire on March 14 final 12 months.
Her husband, Roland Griffiths, has been charged with his spouse’s murder and the tried murder of a young person additionally current on the time who acquired severe burns and required transportation to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a important situation.
On Monday, what’s scheduled to be a three-day committal listening to started within the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, on the finish of which Justice of the Peace Malcolm Thomas will determine whether or not there may be sufficient proof for Mr Griffiths to face trial over the allegations.
Charge sheets launched by the courts present Mr Griffiths, 38, has been charged with 13 offences, which alongside with murder and tried murder embrace costs of deliberately damaging property.
At the time of the offending Mr Griffiths was unemployed and receiving authorities advantages, whereas the Sutherland St house was owned by the Department of Family Fairness and Housing.
A abstract of the police case alleges that the accused had been ingesting on the day of the alleged incident and, at about 5pm, he intentionally set fire to Ms Griffiths and the kitchen of their state housing house by pouring petrol over his spouse and the realm.
It alleges there had been a number of arguments between the accused and Ms Griffiths previous to the blaze, together with one by which he threatened to “break her neck” and tried to find a “favorite weapon,” which was described as a machete-style knife.
Before allegedly igniting the fire, the police abstract states Mr Griffiths took a purple gas can from the entrance porch and commenced to pour petrol on the lounge room carpet and within the space close to the entrance entry in an effort to block the exit.
It alleges he lit the fire by igniting a cigarette lighter after saying “you need me to do it?” and “don’t make me do it”.
It additionally alleges that a young person was within the petrol-soaked kitchen when Mr Griffiths allegedly set it alight, inflicting her severe burn accidents.
That teenager, who can’t be recognized for authorized causes, was pressured to go away the home by way of a locked rear door and, in response to the abstract, heroically rescued one other minor who was trapped in a bed room – actions that police imagine saved the kid’s life.
Seven youngsters had been on the Sutherland St house on the time of the fire, the abstract says.
On Monday, the courtroom was informed of a neighbour who jumped a fence into the property and utilized a hose to Ms Griffiths.
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