Colin Solomon attacked neighbour with flamethrower after downing bottle of whiskey

A south coast man attacked his lifelong friend with a flamethrower and a pitcher of hot water wearing only his underpants.

Colin Solomon was sentenced in the Bega District Court. Picture: Facebook

The behaviour of a south coast man who threatened a lifelong friend with an aerosol flamethrower and a pitcher of hot water, while dressed only in his underpants, last year has been described as “unforgivable”.

Colin Solomon, 55, from Bega, was sentenced in the Bega District Court on December 8, after pleading guilty to two counts of being armed with the intent to commit an indictable offence, common assault, damaging property and intimidation.

Judge Robyn Tupman sentenced Solomon, who appeared via video link, to a nine-month community corrections order after he was held in custody for almost 12 months.

She described Solomon’s offending as “rude, offensive, intimidating and completely unforgivable”.

The court heard Solomon’s offending had occurred on the anniversary of him discovering the body of a friend who had committed suicide.

While Judge Tupman told the court the offences should have been dealt with in the Local Court, she said Solomon’s initial not guilty plea saw him committed to stand trial before he undertook negotiations with police prosecutors.

The court heard Solomon had known his victim since they were small children, and had been neighbours in a block of flats at Tathra when “a degree of antagonism between them” began to grow.

Bega District Court. Picture: Google Maps

Judge Tupman told the court both men had been reluctant to tell police what the disagreement was about, and so she found no evidence of antagonism between the pair.

The court heard Solomon had drunk a bottle of whiskey when he knocked on the man’s door wearing only his underpants at 4am on December 19 last year armed with an aerosol can and a lighter.

Solomon lit the flamethrower, blasting fire through the man’s fly screen door before throwing a large rock at the door, damaging it, the court heard.

A short time later the man woke to see Solomon again outside his front door holding a torch in one hand and a pitcher of hot water in the other.

The court heard Solomon threw the hot water on his victim, which was not hot enough to scald the man, before emergency services were called.

The court heard Solomon yelled abuse at the man, who hid in his car parked in the driveway, before he was arrested the following day, telling police he was asleep at the time of the offences.

Judge Tupman said Solomon had spent a “considerable” amount of time in custody since 2003, and had shown “somewhat conditional remorse” for his actions.

The court heard Solomon worked on a fishing trawler and was “well liked” by his boss.

Judge Tupman told the court Solomon’s offending would “only end” if he was able to abstain from alcohol.

“He is a risk to himself if he doesn’t overcome his alcohol addiction,” she said.

She told the court an intensive corrections order was not possible given the length of time Solomon had already spent in custody.