Hayden Forrest: Jayden Reed blames drugs, alcohol for role in Elderslie house fire that killed mate

A young man has spoken about the reasons why he went with his mate to break into a home armed with a jerry can before fleeing as the house went up in flames, leaving his trapped friend inside.

A southwest Sydney man said he was in shock when he fled from a burning house after breaking into the home as an act of revenge before it went up in flames and killed his mate.

Jayden Reed, 25, appeared in the NSW District Court on Wednesday via AVL after pleading guilty to using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence and aggravated break and enter commit a serious indictable offence with people there with an additional charge of destroy or damage property as a form one.

The home invasion led to the fiery death of 21-year-old Hayden Forrest, who the court heard was allegedly one of the invaders at the Crank Place home in Elderslie on June 1, 2019.

Crown prosecutor Henry Sutherland told the court Reed and Mr Forrest had been driving together earlier in the night when they became “paranoid” they were being followed by another car.

Jayden Reed, 25, has told a court he was in shock when he fled a burning home. Picture: Facebook

The pair got out of the car, Reed armed with a hammer and Mr Forrest with a knife, and approached the vehicle being driven by Blake Sutherland. In order to escape, the victims crashed into Mr Forrest’s car, the court heard.

Prosecutor Mr Sutherland, who is no relation, told the court Reed went back to Mr Forrest’s house, where Mr Forrest said he was “really angry” and “wanted to get back at Blake”.

“It was at the house he told you he was intending to set fire to Blake’s car, that he wanted to get back at Blake for what he had done, at that time you thought it was a fair enough thing to do,” Mr Sutherland said.

The court heard the pair then drove back to Mr Sutherland’s home, with Mr Forrest intending to set fire to his car.

“I was intoxicated and I wasn’t thinking right I thought supporting him is just what a friend would do I guess, I don’t know,” Reed told the court.

“There was never any conversation about hurting anyone or about me providing backup.”

After arriving at the home Mr Forrest allegedly went up to Mr Sutherland’s car, doused it in petrol and tried to light it with a cigarette lighter but it wouldn’t catch fire, the court heard.

When the car wouldn’t light Mr Forrest allegedly kicked down the front door of the house and entered armed with the jerry can.

Jayden Reed (left) speaking to his lawyer with a female supporter outside Picton Court.

Mr Sutherland told the court Mr Forrest went inside, smashed items in the kitchen and then poured petrol through the house.

Reed conceded his memory was hazy and his recollection of the night was poor after drinking alcohol and taking cocaine.

The court heard he was in shock and couldn’t believe what Mr Forrest was allegedly doing, but tentatively entered the house to see what his friend was doing.

“By the time I got inside the house, the flame were already burning and I couldn’t see Hayden anywhere,” Reed said.

“The fire was at the entrance, I couldn’t see beyond the entrance, I didn’t know what he was doing.”

Reed told the court he was in shock and did not know what to do.

“I could have done a lot of things differently that night but I didn’t because of intoxication and shock probably,” he said.

Once the fire engulfed the house, neighbours and witnesses ran to assist the people in the home, some of which saw Reed walk out of the house with his jumper covering his face.

Witnesses yelled at him asking “what the hell was going on” but Reed got in the car with another man and sped away from the scene, the court heard.

Hayden Forrest died in a fire during the home invasion in Elderslie. Picture: Facebook

Defence solicitor Martin Bernhaut admitted the offences were serious and caused substantial emotional harm and loss for the victims.

Mr Bernhaut argued while Reed was guilty, his actions were not as serious as the allegations against Mr Forrest.

“Mr Forrest’s actions were objectively very serious … when you look at what Mr Reed did himself and his mental state when committing the offence, there’s no finding of it falling within the upper range of seriousness,” he said.

“He is guilty yes but he did not think what happened would happen.”

“He didn’t have any part to do with breaking into the house, he just entered after Mr Forrest.”

Multiple children were asleep in their beds at the home when the fire was allegedly deliberately lit, the court heard.

All of the occupants managed to escape the “terrifying” blaze.

Reed fled the house but the court heard Mr Forrest became trapped in the theatre room and was killed in the fire.

Reed was granted bail over the home invasion, but was back behind bars in February after he pleaded guilty to a violent, alcohol-fuelled road-rage attack on two random women.

He was sentenced to six months behind bars in the local court, awaiting his sentence in the district court over the home invasion.

Reed’s co-accused, Frank Sdrolias, who pleaded guilty to his role in the invasion, was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to a break and enter.

Sdrolias confessed to driving Reed, an acquaintance of his family, and Mr Forrest to the home, before later dumping the dead man’s Dodge SUV in bushland.

He handed himself into police three days later and pleaded guilty to his role in September 25 at Picton Local Court.

Sdrolias was convicted and handed down a 14-month jail term to be served in the community by way of intensive correction order.

Reed will return to court for sentence in November.