Luke Mathieson found guilty of pouring petrol on woman’s head and pushing her towards burning candles

A man has been found guilty of pouring petrol over a woman and pushing her towards nearby burning candles, causing damage to her skin and eyes.

A man has been found guilty of pouring petrol over a woman’s head and pushing her towards a nearby cluster of burning candles.

Luke Brock Mathieson, 33, faced Moss Vale Local Court on Wednesday after being charged with intimidation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

On the evening of August 15 last year, the court heard Mathieson became annoyed when the woman was on the phone to a friend and mouthed to her to “hang up the f***ing phone”.

The court heard the Woonona man grabbed a jerry can full of petrol and poured the contents over the woman’s head, shoulders and back in her Moss Vale home. Magistrate Douglass said the victim froze out of fear and shock while the petrol caused damage to her skin and eyes.

Luke Brock Mathieson has been found guilty of pouring petrol over his girlfriend and trying to push her into burning candles. Picture: Supplied

“As a result of the accelerant, her skin was burning, she had headaches for a few days, she couldn’t breathe and she had a sore throat,” he said.

The court heard the victim pleaded with Mathieson, saying: “I’ve got two kids, what the f*** are you doing?”

She tried to move away from Mathieson but he pushed her back towards a cluster of lit candles and told her to “get towards the candles”, according to the facts. The court heard she feared for her life.

Magistrate Douglass found Mathieson guilty of intimidation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He noted the evidence tendered to court included oral testimony from the victim and witnesses, as well as physical evidence such as the victim’s petrol-soaked clothing.

The court heard the victim had tried to dispose of the clothing out of fear of retribution, but a witness had recovered the clothing from the bin and taken it to the police.

Magistrate Douglass stated texts from the victim to Mathieson describing her burning skins were “powerful evidence” in corroborating the victim’s testimony.

Although he agreed there were some inconsistencies in the victim’s statements to police and to the court, the magistrate said the differences did not taint the victim’s truthfulness or reliability.

“To state the obvious, we are all humans and not perfect recounting machines,” he said.

“The court recognises that trauma, if it was suffered by a complainant, affects people differently. That is relevant in this particular matter.”

Magistrate Douglass said the continued contact between the accused and the victim after the assault showed the woman “was traumatised and confused at the time of the offence”.

Luke Brock Mathieson has been found guilty of pouring petrol over his girlfriend and trying to push her into burning candles. Picture: Supplied

The court heard Mathieson was serving a community corrections order for a domestic violence offence at the time of the assault in Moss Vale.

After finding Mathieson guilty, Magistrate Douglass determined his bail should be revoked due to the changed circumstances.

“This offence is very serious. It is prevalent. It is violent,” he said.

“There is a risk of further offence towards the victim and the witnesses that gave evidence in this matter.”

Mathieson was taken into custody and will return to Moss Vale Court on December 6 for sentencing.

Mathieson is also charged with intentionally damaging or destroying the victim’s car, phone, hairdryer, kitchen window, and floor tiles. Those matters are due to be heard at Moss Vale Court in early December.