‘Going to burn everybody’: Man sets fire to ex-friend’s boat after falling out
A decade long friendship between two men came to a fiery end when one set fire to a boat off South Stradbroke Island, a court was told. Read what he said
Gold Coast
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A falling-out between two friends has come to a fiery end when one of the men set fire to a houseboat he gifted.
Darren James Barlow, 56, appeared at Southport District Court via video link where he pleaded guilty to one count of arson after deliberately setting fire to his ex-friend’s boathouse off South Stradbroke Island, September last year.
The court was told Barlow and the victim had been friends for over a decade and both resided in the boathouse for a period of time after Barlow gifted his friend the boat.
But in the months leading up to the incident, Barlow would frequently attend uninvited at all hours including at night and the pair eventually had a falling out, the court was told.
On September 16 last year, Barlow contacted his ex-friend demanding a lift back to the mainland but the man refused.
The court was told witnesses saw Barlow behaving erratically and saying “I’m going to burn everybody”.
At about 5.30pm, a nearby boatie spotted Barlow walking towards the boat holding a red plastic jerry can and a few minutes later heard a “loud bang” followed by flickering lights which grew to a blaze leaving the boat “burnt to the waterline”.
Upon arrival, police located Barlow in the shallows covered in soot and suffering burns to his face.
The court was told Barlow was “highly irate and belligerent” and had to be sedated. Barlow was arrested and served 268 days in pre-sentence custody.
Barlow is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dyslexia.
In sentencing, Judge Rowan Jackson said Barlow’s actions had been “deliberate and premeditated” with “callous disregard” for his ex-friend’s property.
Judge Jackson sentenced Barlow to three years imprisonment with immediate parole.
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Originally published as ‘Going to burn everybody’: Man sets fire to ex-friend’s boat after falling out
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