A 60-year-old Kalgoorlie man who doused a woman in petrol and set fire to a real estate office in broad daylight was a disgruntled tenant "at the end of his tether", a court has heard.
The court heard that outside the flaming building, O'Brien told the real estate agency's business manager Colleen Brabazon "this is all your fault". During today's sentencing hearing, defence lawyer Will Reid told the court his client was embroiled in a tenancy dispute with the agency, which was before the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court, when he started the fire.
After entering the office, he told a different woman working at the front counter to leave, saying "I'm going to burn this place down", and then poured the contents of the jerry can over a sofa and carpet in the building.'Physically, emotionally harmed'