A man accused of setting his neighbour on fire amidst a dispute over noise has been acquitted of attempted murder charges. Michael Gauci, 46, received the verdict from a jury at the Victorian Supreme Court. While he acknowledged pouring a flammable liquid on Shari Grey and firing a gun during their December 2022 altercation, he denied igniting her.
Facing charges of attempted murder and intentionally causing injury, Gauci pleaded not guilty. He also contested two other counts concerning reckless conduct endangering the safety of Grey’s companions during the incident.
The prosecution, represented by Crown prosecutor Angela Moran, claimed that Gauci poured the liquid over Grey after a confrontation involving his wife and the victims in the early hours of December 28. It was alleged that he then ignited a blowtorch to set Grey’s head and upper body ablaze. As her friends attempted to extinguish the flames, Gauci reportedly returned inside with his wife and later left the scene. Grey sustained severe burns covering 80% of her body and suffered multiple health complications, including sepsis and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Moran painted a picture of Gauci as angry and calculated, arguing that he had planned the assault after Grey’s earlier interaction with his wife. The defence, led by barrister Dermot Dann KC, countered that the prosecution’s case was weak. He claimed that Gauci had no intention to kill, and instead suggested that he merely threw the liquid to intervene in a physical conflict between Grey and his wife. He argued that the ignition might have stemmed from a rifle muzzle flash rather than a blowtorch.
After several days of deliberation, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all counts, leading to emotional scenes as Gauci’s supporters celebrated the outcome.