A woman from southern New South Wales has admitted in court to pouring petrol on a friend and setting him alight after a night of drinking, following a sexist comment.
Corbie Jean Walpole, 24, pleaded guilty in Albury District Court to one charge of burning or maiming by using corrosive fluid. The incident occurred in Howlong on January 7 last year, leaving her friend Jake Loader, then 23, with life-threatening burns.
According to evidence presented in court and reported by the ABC, Walpole and Loader had been drinking with friends at her house after a night out. Most of the group was heavily intoxicated, and Walpole had consumed cocaine.
Walpole told the court that Loader had been antagonistic throughout the night, trying to wrestle her and wake her boyfriend who was asleep. She said, “I was feeling overwhelmed by [Mr Loader’s] presence and I didn’t know what to do.”
The situation escalated when Loader told Walpole she should “stay in the kitchen making scones” where she belonged, and not to go drinking with boys, per The Daily Mail.
The court heard Walpole then left the group, got a five-litre container of petrol from the garage, and poured it over Loader. Loader responded, “Go on, do it,” after which Walpole set him alight.
Walpole, who appeared in court expecting to be sentenced, has pleaded guilty to one count of burning or maiming by using corrosive fluid. Her lawyer, Peter Neil SC, said that Walpole had been dealing with depression and substance abuse at the time, and that Loader’s behaviour had “pushed her over the edge”.
Crown prosecutor Max Pincott told the court that Walpole had other options. “You could have walked away from this, couldn’t you, but you didn’t,” he said, arguing that the response was out of proportion to the provocation.
Walpole told the court, “To this day I feel horrible, remorseful, guilty for what I have done to Jake, not only Jake but his family, his loved ones, his mutual friends … anyone who has been impacted in this entire case.”
She added, “No one deserves what happened to Jake and I can’t imagine the pain — both physically and emotionally — that I’ve caused him and his family.”
Loader did not attend the hearing, but his victim impact statement was read out. He suffered burns to more than half his body, was in a coma for eight days, and spent over two months in hospital. Loader said the attack had affected not only him but also his family and friends, and that he now faces ongoing health and financial challenges.
Loader’s statement read, “This attack did not only hurt me, it hurt everyone who cared about me.”
Walpole is expected to be sentenced later this month.
The post NSW Woman Admits To Dousing Friend In Fuel & Setting Him On Fire Over Sexist Remark appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
