State loses bid to keep man who doused girl in petrol and set her alight locked up

Queensland’s Attorney-General has lost an appeal against the new sentence of a man who doused a girl in petrol before setting her alight.

A man who doused a teenager in petrol before setting her alight will still be eligible for parole in a few months after the Attorney-General lost an appeal against his new sentence.

Brae Taylor Lewis was resentenced earlier this year for the heinous attack on the teenager at a Logan home in May 2016.

Lewis and the girl were both 17 at the time.

At the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, lawyers for the Queensland Attorney-General argued the new sentence was inadequate as no serious violent offence (SVO) declaration was made.

Lewis, now 22, was originally jailed for 11 years but successfully appealed in 2018.

A retrial was due to start in January but Lewis instead pleaded guilty to malicious act with intent.

Brae Taylor Lewis could be out on parole in months with time already served after he was resentenced for dousing a woman in petrol and setting her on fire in 2016.

His new sentence was reduced to 9½ years, but with time already served, the sentencing judge declared Lewis could apply for parole in six months.

Jodie Wooldridge, appearing for the Attorney-General, told the court the new sentence imposed was “manifestly inadequate”.

She argued a longer period of custody was warranted before Lewis could be considered eligible for parole.

“(The sentencing judge’s) view of remorse and insight was too favourable on the available evidence,” Ms Wooldridge said.

Ms Wooldridge said Lewis’s plea could be seen as “utilitarian” and the lack of an SVO declaration did not provide enough denunciation for similar offences.

Under an SVO declaration, Lewis would have needed to serve 80 per cent of his jail term.

The girl with permanent scarring to her arms, chest, abdomen, back and thighs after Lewis threw a bottle full of petrol at her before flicking a lighter in May 2016.

Lewis’s lawyer Simon Hamlyn-Harris said his client had always indicated remorse for his actions, and the sentencing judge had properly exercised discretion in not applying a serious violent offence declaration while imposing the new sentence.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the Attorney-General’s application.