Toowoomba man Rodney Vonhoff, 56, pleads guilty to arson of mother’s home

After being kicked out of home, a 56-year-old tried to burn down his mother’s house, locking himself inside.

Toowoomba man Rodney Vonhoff has been sentenced for arson after lighting up his mother’s living room. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A Toowoomba man who tried to burn down his mother’s home while still inside has faced court.

Rodney Carl Vonhoff, 56, pleaded guilty to arson before Toowoomba District Court on Monday after he tried to burn down his mother’s Toowoomba home in late 2019.

The court heard Vonhoff lived at the property with his mother for about 13 years before she asked him to move out.

Some days later, Vonhoff returned to the property, closed all doors and windows, and sealed himself in with tape.

He then poured petrol around the living room and lit a fire while still inside the property.

Emergency service officers rescued Vonhoff from the fire who escaped with no major injuries. His mother was staying with her daughter at the time of the fire and not injured in the incident.

The blaze caused in excess of $130,000 in damage inside the property with much of the furniture destroyed.

Defence barrister Jessica Goldie said Vonhoff struggled immensely with alcohol issues, starting from a very young age.

“He’s been alcohol free since release from custody but he hasn’t been to any specific treatment in the last couple of years,” she said.

The court heard Vonhoff told police he couldn’t remember anything that happened in the house at the time of the fire, nor who started the blaze.

A medical assessment ruled that Vonhoff likely suffered from alcohol induced persistent dementia stemming from his alcohol abuse.

Judge Paul Smith AM sentenced Vonhoff to three years imprisonment and granted him immediate parole after declaring 219 days of pre-sentence custody as time served.

Originally published as Toowoomba man Rodney Vonhoff, 56, pleads guilty to arson of mother’s home