Alessandro Cavuoto committed to trial, accused of murdering Todd Bradmore in house fire
A man charged with murder sprayed petrol at a housemate holding a lit candle – who burst into flame, staggered away and injured two women, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
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A meeting of housemates allegedly ended with a man holding a lit candle being sprayed with petrol, setting him alight and flailing into two other people, seriously injuring them as well.
Alessandro Cavuoto, 33, has already pleaded not guilty to the murder of Todd Bradmore, 31, at a Woodville West home on March 17, 2021.
On Thursday, Oliver Cole, for Mr Cavuoto argued there was not enough evidence to secure two charges of committing an act likely to cause serious harm against two women, aged 28 and 27, who were also in the house.
After the fire at the house, Mr Cavuoto went on the run and was later arrested in New South Wales, following a police pursuit.
On Thursday, Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal heard Mr Bradmore was holding a lit candle in one room of the house, while another female occupant and her friend were in a nearby room.
Taryn Amos, prosecuting, said the prosecution case was Mr Cavuoto allegedly threw petrol from a Coke bottle over Mr Bradmore.
She said one of the witnesses would testify Mr Cavuoto had threatened Mr Bradmore, showing an intent to set him alight.
The injuries to the two women were not caused by the accelerant but by Mr Bradmore moving into the other room while alight.
A couch in that room would later need to extinguished by the Metropolitan Fire Service.
Mr Cole argued his client had not had the needed intent or been sufficiently reckless to cause serious harm to the two women.
“If he had been allegedly spraying petrol around the room or at them, that would be one thing,” he said.
“But it can’t just be a possibility of injury – it must have been likely.”
Ms Amos said Mr Cavuoto would have been aware of the two women sitting only a short distance from Mr Bradmore.
“It does not matter whether they were actually harmed, it was the creation of a risk of harm which is relevant,” Ms Amos said.
Judge Hribal found there was a case to answer and committed Mr Cavuoto on all three charges to the Supreme Court for trial.
He will be arraigned in December.
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