A woman accused of murder told police she was “drenched” in fuel but could not explain why she did not suffer the same serious burns her partner did, nor why her clothes bore no trace of the chemicals, a Supreme Court jury has heard.
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The Crown alleges Kate Stone doused Darren Reid in enamel thinner and set him alight at their Long Gully home on December 18, 2016. Ms Stone has pleaded not guilty to murder.
The jury was played Ms Stone’s police interview from January 4, 2017.
Ms Stone told Detective Senior Constable Michael Cashman she and Mr Reid were home with two of their children on the night of the attack when they heard someone in the backyard yelling for them to come out.
Read more:
- Day 1: Murder trial begins for woman accused of setting partner alight
- Day 2: Murdered Bendigo man in fear for his life, mother tells court
- Day 3: Couple heard yelling in hours before fatal Long Gully fire
- Day 4: Murdered man told paramedic he did not know attacker, court hears
- Day 5: Daughter says three men set father on fire in Long Gully
- Day 6: Murder accused told police men were to blame for death
- Day 7: Man denies talking ‘revenge’ after confrontation with murdered man
- Day 8: Man not in area night of fatal Long Gully attack, court hears
- Day 9: Neighbours heard death threats before murder, court hears
- Day 10: Man tells court he was home the night of Darren Reid’s murder
- Day 11: Long Gully murder accused said she 'did it', neighbour tells court
- Day 12: Long Gully murder trial hears DNA evidence
- Day 13: Fire expert gives evidence to Long Gully murder trial
She said she and Mr Reid went outside and saw a Jason Baxter and a man known as ‘Gibbo’ by the shed, and another man at the gate.
She and Mr Reid went to Mr Baxter and Gibbo, she said, before claiming Mr Baxter threw petrol on them from a can from their shed.
“I was drenched, I was covered in petrol,” Ms Stone said
She said Mr Reid was then set on fire.
Ms Stone said there were no arguments at the house that day, but perhaps loud talking.
When shown a photo of a MotoSpray enamel thinner can, she said she had not seen it.
The detective told Ms Stone fire experts had determined there was no fire in front of the shed, to which she replied, “Fair enough, I can’t argue against that”, but insisted she was not lying.
When told analysis of clothing showed Mr Reid was doused in enamel thinners, not petrol, and her clothing had no trace of those chemicals, she said she did not know what was in the petrol can, and could not explain it.
Detective Senior Constable Cashman said she too should have caught alight, to which Ms Stone replied it was “some kind of miracle”.
The officer told Ms Stone the enamel thinner can held the same chemicals found on Mr Reid’s clothes, and its lid was discovered under the couple’s kitchen table.
The court heard Ms Stone had earlier told police Mr Baxter was holding the lid in his hand.
“How did it get there?” Ms Stone said.
“That is an excellent question,” Detective Senior Constable Cashman replied.
Ms Stone also said she could not explain why she had not mentioned a white cast ‘Gibbo’ would have been wearing on his arm at the time of the incident, when giving a description of him.
Detective Senior Constable Cashman told Ms Stone the man she identified as Mr Baxter was in prison at the time of the attack. She said she was mistaken in her identification, because she had only ever seen Mr Baxter twice.
When informed her DNA was found on the enamel thinner can, Ms Stone said the can had been in the house a long time.
Detective Senior Constable told Ms Stone he believed the couple’s fighting had reached a point where Ms Stone became so annoyed with Mr Reid that she doused him in fuel and set him alight.
“I deny that outright,” Ms Stone said.
She also told the officer about an earlier incident at the splash park involving an altercation between her son and other children.
That day, she said, Mr Baxter came to her house and assaulted her, as Mr Reid arrived home.
She said Mr Baxter then bashed at the door, yelling “I’ll kill you”, while she ran to a neighbour’s house and called triple zero.
Ms Stone said ‘Gibbo’ and another man were also present.
The court heard triple zero calls from November 27, 2016.
Ms Stone told the operator someone had broken into her home with a knife and stabbed someone.
Mr Reid also called emergency services, and said people were trying to break the door down with a plank of wood because of something to do with the park.
The jury was also played CCTV footage taken on December 18, 2016 from a property neighbouring Ms Stone and Mr Reid’s.
It showed the backyard of the couple’s home was dark until the fire began. The arrival of firefighters was also visible in the footage.
A video prepared by Detective Senior Constable Cashman showed the lid taken from beneath the couple’s kitchen table was a perfect fit for the enamel thinner can.
The trial continues.
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