Women jailed after Toowoomba man lit on fire: Codie Bird, Courtney Ramsey

Text messages sent before a man was set alight outside a Toowoomba pub have revealed the motive behind the shocking attack, which left the victim in intensive care for weeks.

Courtney Lee Ramsey (left) and CCTV footage showing the moment a 26-year-old man walked into the Stock Hotel, covered in burns. Picture: Still obtained by 7News.

The motive which led to a young man being set on fire in the carpark of a Toowoomba pub has been revealed in court when two of the three co-offenders pleaded guilty to their involvement.

The shocking crime, where a man was doused in petrol and set alight outside a Harristown hotel, occurred on September 13, 2023.

A day later, Toowoomba investigators charged two women, getaway driver Codie Leigh Bird, 32, and the instigator Courtney Lee Ramsey, 36.

Later that month, police arrested a 27-year-old man who is alleged to have set the man on fire, Yves William David Greenhill, and charged him with obstructing police, unlawful possession of a weapon, and acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.

His charges are still before the courts.

Motive revealed

The court was told the mastermind behind the shocking crime was the eldest of the group, Ramsey, who was the only person who knew the victim.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said Ramsey asked the victim if she could buy an quarter-ounce of marijuana, and arranged to meet him.

What the man did not know, was that a disgruntled Ramsey was planning to rob him because she wasn’t happy with the quality of drugs he sold.

Ms Friedewald said Ramsey sent “a rather sinister” message to an unknown person on Facebook that said, “cuz, can you help me take this c--t’s weed and rock?”

She also allegedly texted Mr Greenhill, however she deleted the messages – it was claimed Mr Greenhill had not.

“Yeah I’m down,” the text read.

“Tell me when you’re out the front.

“Yeah, whoever let’s do it.”

The court was told Bird got involved after her friend, Ramsey, asked her for a ride in exchange for drugs.

Toowoomba mum Courtney Lee Ramsey, 36.

Man engulfed in flames

Ms Friedewald said Bird picked up Ramsey before the pair allegedly picked up Mr Greenhill and drove to a service station where it is claimed Mr Greenhill bought a jerry can which he filled with fuel, a bottle of water, and a packet of cigarettes.

“Once inside the vehicle he emptied the water bottle and began decanting petrol from the jerry can into that water bottle,” Ms Friedewald said.

“Both of the defendants saw this occurring … in the car.”

The trio then allegedly met the victim at the Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre before both parties left and recommenced the drug deal in the carpark behind the Stock Hotel.

After the alleged dealer handed over the cannabis, Ms Friedewald said Mr Greenhill allegedly asked for crystal meth, which sparked an argument where the man was accused of selling drugs cut with other substances.

The man walked into the Stock Hotel at Harristown shortly before 10pm with life threatening burns to his head, neck, chest and upper body.

The man was then squirted with fuel, before being set alight inside the car, “engulfing” the man in flames from his torso to his head.

CCTV shown to the court depicted the man jumping out of the car before he began running around the carpark on fire.

The flames subsided after the man removed his top, however his hair continued to burn longer.

Ms Friedewald said Ramsey was the first to run to Bird’s car, where she yelled, “just f--king go, just go, just f--king go!”

Ramsey told Bird that Mr Greenhill had allegedly, “lit him up”, before he got back into the car and the trio fled.

Yves William David Greenhill is charged with acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.

While the man was pleading for help from staff at the pub, he received a number of “abusive and threatening” messages from Ramsey.

“Got told by the big boys you’ve been doing sly s--t under the table shut the f--k up lesson learnt,” one message read.

The man spent weeks in intensive care, some of that time was spent intubated and sedated, with 10 per cent of his body permanently disfigured by minor and significant burns to 10 per cent of his body.

Judgment

The court was told both of the women had significant criminal histories, suffered from drug addiction and were both subject to court orders at the time of the offence.

At Toowoomba District Court on Friday, June 21, Judge Dennis Lynch KC sentenced Ramsey to a nine-year jail term, to be eligible for parole after she serves 50 per cent of the term.

Bird was sentenced to a two-year jail term, to be eligible for parole after serving a third of the jail term, and 98 days of her pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

Judge Lynch said Bird was sentenced as an accessory after the fact, on the basis she did not know what was going to happen.

Ramsey pleaded guilty to acting with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm.

Bird pleaded guilty to in company with intent to cause some grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm, and assisted Ramsey to escape the scene.

Originally published as Women jailed after Toowoomba man lit on fire: Codie Bird, Courtney Ramsey