Toowoomba Highlands Christian College set ablaze by fiery former student

A woman “obsessed” with her school bullies set fire to her former college in a revenge plot more than a month in the making.

Toowoomba fire. Picture: Social media / Leisa Manteit

In an arson attack characterised as obsessive revenge, a young woman has caused more than $200,000 in damage to prestigious Toowoomba high school, Highlands Christian College.

Vivian Margot Williams, 19, pleaded guilty to arson and attempted arson before Toowoomba District Court on Thursday after trying to burn down her former high school, Highlands Christian College, in a revenge plot spanning weeks.

The court heard Ms Williams entered a major building on the college campus on September 29, 2023 where she proceeded to set fire to an unlocked maintenance closet.

“The defendant attended with two spray paint cans, a backpack, matches and a jerry can of petrol,” Crown prosecutor Peter Blake-Segovia said.

“(She) poured the petrol in the closet, lit it on fire, and the fire subsequently caused significant damage to that closet.”

The blaze, which could be seen from nearby homes, was extinguished around an hour later but Ms Williams escaped apprehension.

Not yet done, she returned to the college a month later on October 31, 2023, petrol and matches in tow.

“The defendant graffitied parts of the school … writing expletives and indicating a view of the principal at that school,” Mr Blake-Segovia said.

“There was an intent to commit a further (arson) … the defendant was interrupted and ultimately left the school premises, spilling petrol in the process.”

She was arrested by police the next day where she made full and frank admissions to all offences.

Highlands Christian College. Picture: File.

A total of $264,269 in damages was incurred from the attacks, with the school paying $10,000 in excess of insurance coverage.

“This is offending which wasn’t borne of a spur of the moment thought, it was premeditated and executed and planned offending,” Mr Blake-Segovia said.

A psychiatrist report outlined how Ms Williams had become obsessed with her time at the college due to diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and ADHD and difficulties with her mental health.

“It was your experiences at that school, and your ultimately obsessing about the way you perceived you’d been mistreated during your schooling time, which caused you to commit (the offences),” Judge Dennis Lynch KC restated.

“You felt victimised by teachers, you were bullied by students … you felt ostracised and harassed and suicidal at school.”

Ms Williams was eventually expelled from the college and completed her education elsewhere.

Defence barrister Nathan Edridge instructed by Legal Aid Queensland argued Ms Williams’ diagnoses reduced her moral culpability as she was unable to control her actions or understand their seriousness.

“She’s ashamed of her conduct, she’s distressed about the harm that she caused and the danger she put other people in,” Mr Edridge added.

“She also has demonstrated an ability to rehabilitate herself.”

The young woman was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to complete 240 hours of community service.

She was additionally charged with wilful damage and unauthorised dealing of shop goods for which she was convicted and not further punished.

No convictions were recorded for any offence.