Angela Surtees: Coroner hands down findings into grisly burning death of Daniel Surtees
Fresh details have emerged into the violent and toxic relationship of a Geelong woman who doused her husband in petrol and set him alight after a public spat.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Fresh details have emerged into the violent and toxic relationship of a Geelong woman who doused her husband in petrol and set him alight after a public spat.
Whittington mother-of-four Angela Surtees was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter over the ghastly death of Daniel Surtees, 36, on January 25, 2020.
Court documents, released on Wednesday, have revealed the volatile years they spent together after they married in 2015 in the lead up to the shocking crime, including the day she set him on fire.
A coronial finding outlined Mr Surtees had consumed “about 14 cans of Jack Daniels bourbon” in a five-hour period at an engagement party they attended in Corio before becoming abusive and threatening to kick her and other partygoers in the head
Upon arriving at home, he apparently abused a passer-by before later apologising, explaining to the man “he was having a really bad day”, the new court documents state.
Later that evening, Angela unscrewed the lid of a jerry can, splashed petrol over her husband and ignited a lighter before he burst into flames.
Their children were watching TV in another room at the time.
“Daniel ran out onto the front lawn and began rolling around on the grass in an attempt to extinguish himself,” the court documents said.
The 36-year-old was rushed to Geelong Hospital and later died at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, having suffered “deep burns” to 80 per cent of his body.
Forensic pathologist Professor Noel Woodford, director of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, told a coroner the severity of the burns would have lead to “cardiovascular instability” and “organ failure”.
He said Mr Surtees died from “complications of thermal burn injuries”, a conclusion the state coroner Judge John Cain agreed with in handing down his findings into his death without inquest.
The report revealed Angela had used a knife in self defence against her husband during an ordeal in 2017. He was charged and later convicted with unlawful assault.
The documents stated he was responsible for six other family violence incidents between 2005 and 2017.
Family members described the pair’s relationship as “toxic” and “volatile” and they were often “at each other’s throats”, with the deceased’s mother-in-law observing Mr Surtees as “a really great bloke when he was sober even when he had a couple [of drinks] he was fine … however, when he would have a lot he would get angry”.
Angela pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Surtees in the Supreme Court in 2022 after she was initially charged with his murder.
In March last year, her sentence of 12 years was reduced to 10 years and six months, with a non-parole period of seven.
She is eligible for parole in 2027.
More Coverage
Originally published as Angela Surtees: Coroner hands down findings into grisly burning death of Daniel Surtees
Truckie jailed for a decade over crash that killed ‘much-loved’ mum
Chilling text messages sent by a truck driver in the days before he killed a woman in a horror Bellbrae crash reveal he was knowingly driving fatigued and “almost predicted” the tragedy.
‘Landmark development’: $10m apartments proposed for Highton
A $10m “landmark” apartment complex, set to transform two ageing houses into a modern multistorey development, is being proposed for a prime location in Highton.