A California Gully woman has pleaded guilty to arson in relation to a shed fire that destroyed about $149,900 worth of property at Eaglehawk.
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Shelana Louise Gavin, 31, pleaded guilty in the County Court yesterday to one count of arson in relation to the incident at a property on the Eaglehawk-Neilborough Road on February 7, 2017.
The court heard on that day, Gavin drove her father William Gavin to the property, where he splashed a shed with vehicles and tools inside with petrol and set it alight.
The property was owned by the father of a man with whom Gavin had had an on-again, off-again relationship.
The court heard the arson attack occurred following a threat allegedly made against Gavin by her former partner’s father, which made Mr Gavin angry.
The following day, Gavin was arrested and made a full admission to police.
Mr Gavin died before he was charged.
In a victim impact statement Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore read to the court, the former partner’s father said he had anxiety and problems sleeping.
He said irreplaceable antiques and collectibles had been lost. “I don’t enjoy life like I once did, because I don’t feel safe wherever I go,” he wrote.
In his victim impact statement, Gavin’s former partner wrote he had experienced significant issues with depression and lost the interest in cars he had held prior to the fire.
Mr Moore said the maximum sentence for arson was 15 years’ imprisonment, and the Crown would seek a $67,000 compensation order on behalf of the former partner for the vehicles destroyed in the fire.
Gavin’s lawyer Robert Timms said his client had primary care of her two children, both of whom had some form of disability, one “fairly severe”. Mr Timms said the latter child required close supervision and also suffered separation anxiety.
Judge Paul Grant said he required further evidence of the child’s condition to determine if there were exceptional circumstances to consider in sentencing.
Mr Timms also told the court his client had a “family history peppered with poverty and violence”, with Mr Gavin a man who likely spent more time in prison than out.
A psychologist’s report tendered to the court said Gavin had severe stimulant abuse disorder and satisfied the diagnosis for borderline personality disorder.
Gavin will be sentenced at a later date.