CCTV and police body worn camera footage to form part of the case in alleged arson attack
A man charged with attempted murder after allegedly setting a woman alight has been supported by loved ones who attended his brief court hearing.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Michael Gauci has faced court for the attempted murder of his neighbour after she was allegedly set on fire at her Werribee South home.
The 32-year-old woman was drinking with her brother and a handful of friends at a Werribee South home on Wednesday when they were confronted by neighbours from a nearby house.
The woman was in the front yard about 2am when the incident occurred.
The 43-year-old Werribee South man walked into the dock of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at midday on Thursday, where he did not apply for bail.
The court heard it was his first time in custody, and he wished to see a doctor for “unspecified health issues”.
The man, with short cropped hair greying at the sides, wearing a black jumper and blue face mask, looked to the back of the courtroom where family members sat.
He briefly stood with his hands folded and addressed the court when Magistrate Donna Bakos confirmed his charges and his next court appearance.
“Yes, Your Honour,” he replied.
The court heard that CCTV and police body worn camera footage would make up part of the case, while DNA and exhibits would be forensically analysed.
Her Honour redacted the name of the woman, 32, in a critical injury from burns from charge sheets that were granted to the media.
Mr Gauci faces charges of attempted murder, conduct endangering life, intentionally cause serious injury and recklessly causing serious injury.
The Herald Sun understands Mr Gauci works as a mechanic in Werribee.
He was supported by six loved ones — three men and three women — who sat in the back of the court and spoke to his solicitor, Anthony Malkoun, directly after the 10-minute hearing was over.
Mr Gauci will return to court on March 22.
Mr Gauci’s loved ones did not speak to waiting media outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. They left the building about 12.30pm, jumping into a white 4WD that was waiting for them on William St.
At least three people were seen leaving a property that is believed to be Mr Gauci’s home on Thursday afternoon. Two women in a black Mercedes Benz sedan and one man driving a blue Mitsubishi Triton declined to speak to the media as they pulled away from the home, which is guarded by fencing that wraps around the property and a security gate.
The Herald Sun understands one line of inquiry over the incident is that anger over noise spilt over in the early hours as Melbourne battled through its hottest night in five years.
Witnesses allege that it started as a verbal altercation that escalated, before the woman was burnt, leaving her in a critical condition with third-degree burns.
Sources close to the case claimed the woman attempted to defuse the dispute before she was set upon.
“She was trying to calm the whole thing down,” the source said.
Forensic tests will determine whether petrol or any other flammable liquid was used as an accelerant in the attack.
On Wednesday, investigators seized CCTV footage from neighbouring homes.
One neighbour, who wished not to be named, told the Herald Sun that he and the 43-year-old man facing charges shared an interest in cars and had mowed their lawns together in the past.
“Our dogs would play out in the street while we mowed the lawns,” they said.
He said tensions between the man and the woman he allegedly set alight had been brewing over the course of several weeks over noise coming from the woman’s home when she hosted a gathering.
“He’s had beef with them before.
“It’s a bit of a shock. It’s so quiet and peaceful here.
It is understood the man lived at his weatherboard home with his wife and two young children.
Neighbour Kerensa said she could not comprehend how the violence escalated on Wednesday morning.
“It’s extremely shocking,” she said.
“I don’t know how it got from zero to a million over something so inconsequential.
“It’s not uncommon for us to gather in our backyards … so I’m just surprised.
“I don’t know how this happened.
Neighbours said the woman had moved into the unit only a few months ago. “They were having a few drinks,” said one neighbour, who wished to remain nameless. “I didn’t hear much noise, a bit of music and that but nothing really.
“I woke up to blue and red flashing lights flashing through my windows and I thought, ‘Wow.’
“It’s shocking. Wouldn’t expect someone to do something like that, over what, a bit of noise.”
Two other attendees of the early morning gathering suffered minor burns in the attack. It is unclear whether there was pre-existing friction between any residents in the street. On Wednesday, police cordoned off the section of grass where the fire unfolded.
A blue esky was examined for forensic evidence as was a discarded glass bottle of Malibu rum.
Detectives took a green slide-style shoe from the scene and bagged it as evidence. Officers also took dirt from where the fire was lit to chemically test it.
One of the men injured in the incident returned to the scene on Wednesday morning. His arm and thigh were bandaged and he wore a hospital admittance tag.
He hugged two men and a woman at the scene.
The quartet remained tight-lipped, declining to speak of the ordeal. Other neighbours said it was a small gathering and they only saw a handful of people in the aftermath of the incident. One said: “It is an absolute tragedy,” and described the area as a quiet neighbourhood.
On Thursday, the woman remained in The Alfred hospital in a critical condition.
A teenager was taken to Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition with upper and lower body injuries.
Footage emerges of wild Waverley Gardens alleged bottle stabbings
Brave witnesses performed a citizen’s arrest on a man who allegedly slashed two shoppers with a broken glass bottle at Waverley Gardens shopping centre. See the video.
Cop’s alleged road rage attack on ‘lane filtering’ motorcyclist
A motorbike rider claims he was the victim of a road rage attack by an off-duty cop in Melbourne, that involved the officer “screaming profanities”, tailgating and trying to force him off the road.