Man sentenced to life for ‘despicable’ murder of wife he killed by fire

A man who set fire to his wife and stepdaughter and then blamed his dying partner for the horrific attack has been sentenced to life in prison.

Kylie Sheahan, 35, known affectionately by her family as ‘Smiley Kylie’ had her life horrifically cut short by her husband in an “extremely confronting and harrowing” domestic violence incident.

Roland Griffiths, 41, appeared before Victoria’s Supreme Court stone-faced as he was handed a life sentence for murder.

Justice John Champion said that Griffiths had inflicted “a form of death so brutal that it is to be beyond the understanding of most civilised human beings”.

In the two-hour sentencing hearing, Justice Champion repeatedly slammed Griffiths for his “despicable” crime, telling the court his remorse was “begrudging at best”.

The judge himself had to pause before reading out the horrifying chain of events that lead to Ms Sheahan’s tragic murder on March 14, 2022.

“Ms Sheahan was in the kitchen cooking dinner for her family. She posed no threat to you when you attacked her in a spate of extreme, brutish anger,” he said.

“You poured the petrol on the mother while she was helpless and vulnerable on the floor … in front of her children.”

“Please don’t do this,” Ms Sheahan was heard saying during the attack, the court was told.

Moments later Griffiths ignited the petrol with a lighter, starting an inferno that would claim the life of Ms Sheahan and severely injure the child.

“It is hard to imagine the degree of terror she experienced when you poured petrol on her,” Justice Champion said.

“No human being should be exposed to that.”

The court was told that neighbours and emergency services heard Griffiths blaming the victim after the attack, telling her to keep quiet.

“Keep quiet, don’t say anything,” Griffiths was overheard saying to Ms Sheahan by a neighbour.

“Look what you made me do,” he later said.

Justice Champion told the court that victim blaming was “a common statement heard from men in these courts.”

“Male perpetrators of partner violence must learn that this kind of behaviour will not be accepted by the community or by courts,” he said.

Seven children were home when Griffiths fatally attacked his wife.

The court was told the children were left with deep physical and mental scars, with one child having to learn how to walk again to attend their mother’s funeral.

Three of the kids received bravery awards for their “extreme acts of courage” for rescuing their siblings from the inferno, saving their lives.

“I lost my mum, I miss my mum and it is sad she won’t be there for the important things,” one of the kids’ statements read out by Justice Champion said.

Griffiths, who has a long history of family violence offences, will serve 32 years before being eligible for parole.

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