A MAN who set fire to a house that his fiance was sleeping in has avoided jail.
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Jacob Hein, 25, of Flinders Street, Portland, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to arson and unlicensed possession of ammunition.
The court heard Hein and his partner had been in a relationship for three years and were engaged to be married.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Paul Harris said that in July last year Hein and the woman had a physical argument and Hein left and stayed with a friend.
On August 4 the woman was asleep in the master bedroom when Hein parked his ute at the house and entered the shed.
He doused a curtain in the house with fuel and set it alight.
He also started a second fire in the shed before driving off.
Senior Constable Harris said the fire took off as the woman slept. He said police were doing a routine patrol in the area and noticed smoke coming from the house.
The woman was woken up by thick smoke but couldn’t find her way out. Senior Constable Harris said police heard screaming and one officer entered the house.
The policeman used a torch to find the woman and he was able to grab hold of her.
The policeman also became disoriented because of the smoke but he and the woman eventually made their way out of the house by another policeman directing them from the back door.
Both the woman and the policeman suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital.
Senior Constable Harris said Hein never made an attempt to extinguish the fire and he knew the woman was asleep inside.
The court heard the cost of the damage done to the property was about $5000, Hein had no prior convictions and was supported in court by his family.
Hein’s defence counsel said Hein had engaged with mental health services and was progressing well. The court heard Hein began using cannabis at 17 and had built up to ecstasy and ice use.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said Hein was lucky a tragedy hadn’t occurred by his careless acts.
She said she was not dealing in matters relating to the person but instead criminal damage charges. Hein was convicted and placed on a 12 month Community Corrections Order which includes 120 hours of unpaid community work. He was also convicted and fined $300 for unlicensed possession of ammunition.
