Vic: Man set alight by his ex and her new love: court

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2009
Vic: Man set alight by his ex and her new love: court

MELBOURNE, Dec 9 AAP - A Melbourne man was allegedly set alight by his ex-lover and
a neighbour she had taken up with, a court has heard.

Kim Emery, 36, and John Rossi, 52, are facing a committal hearing in the Melbourne
Magistrates Court over the arson attack on Peter D'Amore that left him with severe head
and upper body burns.

The court heard Emery and Mr D'Amore were in a relationship when she began seeing Rossi,
who lived across the road only 100 metres from their home in Melbourne's north.

Emery moved in with Rossi and began feuding with Mr D'Amore about her belongings.

On the day of the attack on April 16, Mr D'Amore told the court he threw a large plank
of wood at Rossi's feet and the pair swore at each other.

The pair began throwing punches.

Police allege Rossi then asked Emery to pass something to him, believed to be an igniting
instrument.

Rossi then allegedly set D'Amore alight, causing him to be engulfed in flames.

"The next thing I remember I was on fire," Mr D'Amore said in his statement to police.

"My hair, my back and my arm was on fire. I knew that he wanted to kill me; I thought
I was going to die."

Mr D'Amore said he put his head under a tap before being taken to The Alfred hospital
with severe burns.

Emery and Rossi are each charged with attempted murder, reckless conduct endangering
death and intentionally cause serious injury.

The committal hearing is continuing.

AAP mi/gfr/jl/mn

KEYWORD: EMERY

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