Kyle Alan Morris, 28, stalked his former lover, threatening to burn her house down with her in it

The man and woman had been best friends for 15 years and in a romantic relationship for 12 months when things turned sour. When police searched the man’s vehicle, they found a jerry can inside it. Here’s what happened.

They had been best friends for 15 years and in a romantic relationship for 12 months when things turned sour.

A young man then threatened to burn his ex-lover’s house down with her inside.

Kyle Alan Morris, 28, pleaded guilty on April 4 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of stalking.

The offending took place between June 4 and November 10, 2021, at Rockhampton where Morris stalked a former partner and friend of 15 years.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said this was a protracted stalking.

“The most serious aspect of it would be that the defendant, once he was told that the police were going to be called, he stated ‘Yeah. And I’ll kill you. I’ll burn this house down with you in it”,” Ms Butler said.

Kyle Alan Morris, 28, stalked his former best friend of 15 years and lover of 12-months, threatening to burn her house down with her in it after she called the police.

“Following that, when he was in the watch-house, police searched his vehicle and a jerry can was located inside.

“That certainly makes this an aggravating stalking and that is of particular concern.”

Ms Butler said Morris had a one-page criminal record with two entries - the most serious being a grievous bodily harm offence for which he was sentenced to five-months prison with parole eligibility in 20 months.

Morris was 20 years old when he pleaded guilty to that charge in Bundaberg District Court in March 2014.

In that case, Morris had punched Tyla Rackemann, 35, once in the face outside the Federal Hotel at Childers on March 1, 2013.

The victim, a father-of-two at the time, received a serious and permanent traumatic brain injury and he needed around-the-clock supervision after the assault and will never be able to work or drive again.

Ms Butler said Morris’ second entry was from June 2021, for public nuisance and obstruct police offences.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Morris was born in Emerald, with his father still there and his mother was now in Hervey Bay - they separated when he was young.

Kyle Alan Morris, 28.

She said Morris completed Year 10 at Hervey Bay through TAFE and had worked ever since.

Ms Legrady said he was in a relationship with the victim for 12 months after being friends for 15 years and they were best friends for that period.

She said Morris instructed he had found out she was cheating on him for the third time, but he should have walked away.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said Morris would be aware of events that had been covered by media where people burn others in domestic violence situations, or threaten to use fire against someone in a DV relationship.

She sentenced Morris to 15 months’ prison, declared 146 days pre-sentence custody and gave him immediate parole release.