Lee went into the backyard, climbed a fence and poured the petrol over Bainbridge before setting him on fire. Bainbridge’s son Joshua, who was working nearby, rushed over and helped put out the flames with a hose.
He was flown to The Alfred with burns to 81 per cent of his body and died later that evening.
In sentencing, Tinney accepted Lee had a personality disorder, which made him inexplicably suspicious of his neighbours. But he rejected arguments from the defence that their client was genuinely frightened of Bainbridge, instead finding he acted only in anger.
“Your indignant anger overcame your clear understanding of the wrongfulness of your actions and you committed murder,” Tinney said.
Lee will be eligible for parole after 27 years.
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