Quintin Nydegger pleads guilty to setting former friend on fire south of Wollongong

Shocking details have emerged about man being set on fire by his mate at an isolated property on the state’s south coast leaving him with burns to hands, face, neck and chest.

A man set his friend on fire in a shock attack on Saddleback Mountain near Kiama. Picture: Google Maps

An attempt to re-establish a broken down friendship has ended with a man being doused in petrol and set on fire at a property south of Wollongong.

The details have emerged after Quintin Chester Nydegger, 44, pleaded guilty in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday to throwing an explosive with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Documents tendered in court state Nydegger had known his now 52-year-old victim for two decades, however, they had not been in regular contact for some time prior to the incident in June, last year.

Nydegger contacted the victim and expressed regret for their friendship breaking down with the documents stating he said it “would be nice if they caught up”.

The victim agreed to spend a night at a property owned by Nydegger’s sister on Fountaindale Rd on Saddleback Mountain.

The documents state Nydegger picked the man up from Kiama Station at about 3.3opm on June 18, 2022, and drove him back to the address in his Volkswagen Golf.

The offender parked the car next to the house before grabbing a 600ml soft drink bottle filled with petrol from the verandah.

Quintin Nydegger pleaded guilty to the crime in Wollongong Local Court.

The court documents indicate Nydegger approached the victim, who was still getting out of the car and chucked the petrol over him.

Nydegger ignited the fuel causing the man to be engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the Golf.

“What have you done,” the victim screamed.

“What have you done? What have I done? Why? Why? What have I done?”.

The man was unable to find a water source as Nydegger fled the scene in a Holden Commodore.

The documents state Nydegger called triple-0 to report a man had been burnt on a property; however, after this call, he drove about 10km north to Jamberoo.

The victim managed to flag down a passing motorcyclist who also contacted triple-0, with the man eventually flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital for emergency treatment.

The victim was assisted by a passer-by on Fountaindale Rd. Picture: Google Maps

Police were unable to speak to the victim due to his deteriorating condition and severe levels of pain, however, the offender returned to the property the following day where he was contacted by officers from Lake Illawarra Command.

Nydegger was interviewed at the station where he admitted to throwing petrol on the victim, at which point he was placed under arrest.

The victim suffered burns to 11 per cent of the surface area of his body including to his hands, face, neck, left thigh and chest.

He required three skin graft operations.

Nydegger will remain in custody on remand with a date for his sentence to be set in the Wollongong District Court later this month.