Woman Reportedly Set on Fire with Blowtorch After Dispute with Neighbor Over Loud Music, Court Hears

• A man in Victoria, Australia has been accused of setting a neighbor on fire in December 2022 amid a noise dispute, a court heard on Tuesday, Feb. 25
• Michael Gauci, 45, is facing charges including attempted murder following the incident, which saw Sharie Gray, 34, suffer injuries to 70 percent of her body, it’s been reported
• The suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

A man is on trial in Australia after being accused of setting a woman on fire with a blowtorch amid a noise dispute, per reports.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Michael Gauci, 45, faced the first day of his jury trial at the Supreme Court in Victoria. He’s accused of attempted murder after allegedly pouring an accelerant on his neighbor, Sharie Gray, and lighting her on fire in the early hours of the morning on Dec. 28, 2022, per the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

The alleged assault occurred on Rivercoast Road in Werribee South outside of Melbourne after Gray, 34 — who lived in a unit backing onto the suspect’s home with her brothers Eta and Steve Pirangi — had some friends over, per news.com.au, citing crown prosecutor Angela Moran.

Per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Gray and her friends had been drinking, singing and playing loud music on Dec. 27, 2022, so Gauci’s wife asked them to quiet down. 

She then called and messaged her husband to tell him about it. He allegedly wasn’t home at the time, but he returned back to the property at around 12:40 a.m. local time the next morning, per news.com.au. The outlet stated his partner and Gray had allegedly “exchanged words” before the neighbor and her friends went to the beach for a swim.

Once they returned, Gauci was seen on CCTV leaving the primary bedroom and picking up a blowtorch from the kitchen counter at around 1:48 a.m., the publication stated. His wife is accused of cutting the power to the CCTV system a minute later.

The AAP reported that Gauci told Gray to “come out the front to sort it out,” before Gray and his wife got into an altercation. Gauci then allegedly threw around one liter of a “pre-wash accelerant” onto Gray’s face and upper body, the news agency stated.

“After the liquid hit Ms. Gray, the accused man — standing one meter [about three feet] away from her — ignites a blowtorch he was holding in his hand, causing it to emit a flame,” crown prosecutor Moran said, per the AAP.

“Ms. Gray catches fire, her whole head and upper body were on fire,” Moran added, stating that the injuries to 70 percent of the victim’s body, from her face to her thighs, were “acute and life-threatening,” the AAP added.

“Treatment is still ongoing she is currently back in hospital continuing to receive treatment,” Moran said, per news.com.au.

As well as attempted murder, Gauci is also facing charges of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, as well as two counts of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, relating to burns suffered by Gray’s friends when they were attempting to help her, the outlet reported.

After the alleged attack, Gauci headed to a local police station, before officers found the blowtorch, a flammable substance called Prepwash and an open 10-liter fuel container at his home, per the ABC.

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Barrister John Korn, defending the suspect, insisted he wasn’t holding a blowtorch during the altercation, but was holding a rifle, the outlet reported. The lawyer claimed his client threw the liquid at Gray in an attempt to stop her from allegedly attacking his wife.

“He threw a bucket which had liquid in it, which he never believed, never suspected, never considered had anything dangerous in it,” Korn said, according to the ABC.

Gauci has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and the three other charges he’s facing, per the outlet. The jury will now have to decide whether to charge the suspect with attempted murder or intentionally causing serious injury. The trial continues.

The Supreme Court of Victoria and Barrister John Korn didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.