‘My sister was burnt alive’: Kiwi woman survives attempted ‘blowtorch’ murder

Witnesses said a blowtorch was used. Photo / Thinkstock

A Kiwi woman suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body when a dispute over loud music led to an Aussie neighbour setting her ablaze with a blowtorch, a Melbourne court has heard.

Sharie Gray, 32, sustained horrific injuries in the incident just before Christmas 2022, which came after her Werribee South neighbours reportedly objected to loud music coming from a house party at her address.

Michael Gauci, 44, faces a series of charges over the incident, including attempted murder, the Daily Mail reported.

Gray’s family gave evidence yesterday, sharing details of the chilling moment they saw their loved one go up in flames.

The conflict had been reportedly building since Gauci’s wife confronted her neighbours earlier in the evening, claiming loud music was affecting her young children’s sleep, before she went up against Gray in the driveway at 1am.

The court heard that Gray was brawling with Gauci’s wife over the noise before her husband intervened but Gray’s brother-in-law Eta Pirangi told police at the time that any physical confrontation was short-lived.

Pirangi also claimed to have tried to break up the fight himself before Gauci ran off and returned with a canister of fuel.

“He threw the liquid in a flicking motion, aimed upwards which caused it to mostly impact on Sharie’s upper body and face,” Pirangi told the court.

Pirangi said Gauci then pressed something in his hand which saw a flame shoot toward Gray.

“At first I thought it might have been hairspray and a lighter, but the jet appeared to be too big.”

“All we heard was a loud pop and my sister was burnt alive,” he told police in the immediate aftermath.

Pirangi’s brother Steve Pirangi told police that Gray had her back turned to Gauci when he set her alight.

“It appeared to be he was holding a lit blowtorch in his right hand and an aerosol spray in his left,” he said.

“I could hear the blowtorch burning... I knew it was a blowtorch because I’ve used one before to light my barbecue.”

Last year a Melbourne court heard that Gray was initially given a 30 per cent chance of survival and spent seven months in hospital following the attack, before two months in a rehabilitation facility and the need for ongoing care and surgeries.

Gauci faces charges of attempted murder, intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury and conduct endangering life - and is understood to be pleading not guilty when the current preliminary hearing ends, claiming self-defence, the Daily Mail reported.