Adelaide man Cecil Weetra who set partner alight is sentenced to 14 years for attempted murder

A man who doused his partner in petrol and set her alight has been jailed for at least 14 years for attempted murder.

Adelaide man Cecil Spencer Weetra was found guilty by a jury over the attack in March, 2021 which left his victim with severe burns to 40 per cent of her body.

She also suffered injuries to her lungs and requires further operations as part of her rehabilitation.

Sentencing Weetra on Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Sandi McDonald said the woman was lucky to have survived the attempt on her life which came during a short but volatile relationship.

After enduring physical violence for some time, the woman had decided to move out of the house where they lived in Adelaide’s north.

Weetra did not want her to go and the pair argued.

That culminated with him retrieving some petrol from behind the house, dousing his victim and then igniting the fumes with a cigarette lighter.

During his trial, Weetra told the jury the woman had caused the injuries to herself, but Justice McDonald said she was not surprised that version of events was rejected.

The judge said Weetra’s lies showed a lack of contrition or remorse on behalf of the 45-year-old who had a long history of offending dating back to when he was 14.

‘To this day you have failed to hold yourself accountable for your actions,’ Justice McDonald said.

‘The nature and circumstances of the offence that you have committed are such that any sentence that I impose must denounce your conduct and act as a deterrent to both yourself and other members of the community from engaging in such abhorrent behaviour.

‘Your criminal history, your complete absence of remorse and contrition and the lack of any explanation for your offending behaviour also means that you are a poor candidate for rehabilitation.’

The judge jailed Weetra for 18 years and set a non-parole period of 14 years.

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