A man was sentenced in Orange District Court to four years’ jail with two years to be served without parole for lighting a house on fire in Short Street, Cowra.
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Mathew John Gee, 30, of Scenic Drive, Cowra, blamed the home’s occupant for the death of his sister in a motorbike crash on February 20, 2016.
On July 5, 2016, about 9.10pm he set the back of the house on fire with toilet paper and nail polish remover while the victim was asleep inside.
Gee was charged with intentionally damaging property by fire, and was sentenced last week.
His sentence was back-dated to December 24, 2016, which means he could be released on parole on December 24, 2018.
According to facts tendered to the court, the victim woke-up from the smoke, escaped, and fire fighters were called to extinguish the fire, but it reignited later that night and destroyed the house.
Gee was not accused of starting the second fire.