Insulting remark that caused a woman to pour petrol on a friend and set him on fire is revealed in court

By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 14:36 BST, 8 May 2025 | Updated: 15:30 BST, 8 May 2025

A woman who doused a ‘lifelong friend’ in fuel and set him alight had been angered by a sexist comment, a court has heard. 

Corbie Jean Walpole, 24, previously pleaded guilty to a single count of burning or maiming by corrosive fluid. 

She appeared before Albury District Court on Thursday, awaiting sentencing, which was adjourned.

The young woman hosted the victim, Jake Loader, at her home in Howlong, on the NSW southern border, on January 7, 2024.

The pair and a group of their friends had been partying through the night and returned to the Howpole’s place at about 5am to continue drinking.

Much of the group was heavily intoxicated, and Walpole had also consumed cocaine.

She said Mr Loader had been ‘antagonistic’ during the night, at one point attempting to wrestle her.

At another point, he tried to wake her sleeping boyfriend.

Corbie Jean Walpole awaits sentencing after setting a lifelong friend on fire

Jack Loader is no longer able to expose his skin to the sun after spending 74 days undergoing burns treatments

‘I was feeling overwhelmed by his presence and I didn’t know what to do,’ she said in court, according to the ABC.

She said her rage peaked when Mr Loader told her to ‘stay in the kitchen making scones’ where she belonged, instead of going out drinking with boys.

At that point, Walpole went to her garage and returned with a five-litre container of petrol.

She poured it over Mr Loader and waved her lighter around before he teased her, saying ‘go on, do it’, then Walpole set him alight.

Fifty-five per cent of Mr Loader’s body was burned before he was placed in an induced coma for eight days.

He spent a further 74 days in Prince Alfred Hospital’s burn unit in Melbourne, where he underwent 10 surgeries.

On Thursday, Walpole’s representation said the 24-year-old felt trapped and depressed in her relationship at the time and had begun abusing alcohol and recreational drugs from late 2022.

Peter Neil SC said his client was ‘pushed over the edge’ by Mr Loader’s antagonism.

Corbie Warpole had been angered by Mr Loader’s comments that she should have been in the kitchen instead of drinking with the boys

The Crown prosecutor argued Walpole had ample time to remove herself from the situation and calm down.

He stated that Walpole’s actions were so excessive that any argument of provocation was irrelevant.

Walpole took the stand to say she felt remorseful for her actions and could not believe she had caused the injuries.

‘I would do anything to go back in time,’ she said.

Mr Loader can no longer expose his skin to the direct sun and struggles to regulate his body heat after his sweat glands were entirely burned off.

He said he and his family experienced financial pressure as he lost income, and his loved ones travelled to be with him.

Walpole will return to court for sentencing later in May.

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Insulting remark that caused a woman to pour petrol on a friend and set him on fire is revealed in court

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