Geelong men Sean Phipps and Raymond Nunn jailed for burning down drug dealer’s public housing

Two Geelong men have been sentenced for burning down a drug dealer’s home, with one carving “you owe me” into the wall during the arson attack.

Two Geelong men have been jailed for burning down a drug dealer’s house after they thought they were “ripped off”, a court has heard.

Norlane man Sean Phipps, 32, and Raymond Nunn, 25, of no listed address, were sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday after they each entered a plea of guilty to one count of arson.

Raymond Nunn was accused of burning down the house out of “spite and revenge”. Picture: Facebook.

In May 2020, Nunn went to a Geelong commission house and gave a man who was living there $300 for drugs. The drug dealer left the house to buy the drugs and told Nunn he would be back.

When the man did not return, Nunn “came to the belief he had been ripped off”. While he was waiting, Phipps and two women arrived.

Nunn set a mattress on fire in the bedroom and two more were started in a bin and in the bath. It is unclear who set the two fires.

In an interview with police in March this year, Nunn told them he tried to put the fire out by pouring Coca Cola on it and stepping on it but he was not “100 per cent sure whether it went out or not”.

Nunn then carved “you owe me” into the lounge room wall.

The total damage caused came to $132,939.

Judge Felicity Hampel said it was a “wilful act of destruction” and was a “terrible thing to do”, that cost the department of housing, the community in need of the public housing and taxpayers.

Sean Phipps did not have a motive for revenge but Judge Hampel said in some ways “that makes it worse”. Picture: Facebook.

Judge Hampel added while Nunn’s intention was “spite and revenge”, Phipps was “mindless joining in”.

“In some ways, that makes it worse. Or at least, in a different sense and for different reasons, just as bad,” Judge Hampel said.

Referring to Nunn’s motivation, Judge Hampel said “the anger and vengeance” turned the $300 he thought he was owed by the drug dealer into $130,000 in damage he caused to the house.

Phipps, who Judge Hampel said has a “longer and much more serious criminal history” than Nunn’s, is currently serving a term of imprisonment after being found guilty of an armed robbery last year.

Both men have extensive priors, including drug possession.

Judge Hampel sentenced Phipps to 18 months’ imprisonment, with nine to be served concurrently with his current term.

Nunn was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and will be placed on a community corrections order for two years after his release.

Originally published as Geelong men Sean Phipps and Raymond Nunn jailed for burning down drug dealer’s public housing