24-Year-Old Woman Who Set Her Friend on Fire During a Friendly Party Receives a Prison Sentence – Details

The woman, who has since shown remorse for her devastating actions, also has a prior assault conviction.

A 24-year-old woman from southern New South Wales has been handed a prison sentence after a shocking act during a backyard gathering left her friend with life-altering injuries.

Corbie Jean Walpole from Howlong will spend seven-and-a-half years behind bars for setting her friend, Jake Loader, on fire during a night of heavy drinking on January 7, 2024.

The two first crossed paths when Loader was a student at St Paul’s College, a boarding school located in Walla Walla, roughly 40 kilometers north of Albury.

Loader, who resides in outback Queensland, had returned to Howlong to reconnect with old friends, including Walpole, for a night of drinking that also involved celebrating a 21st birthday.

According to court proceedings at Albury District Court, the celebrations spiraled into tragedy when Walpole doused Loader, who was 23 at the time, in petrol. She then ignited it, leaving him with severe third-degree burns over more than half of his body.

The incident took place at Walpole’s home, where the two had been partying. On the fateful night, Walpole and Loader, who had been friends for nearly a decade, had been drinking heavily for about 12 hours.

Their night began around 8 p.m. on January 6, 2024, when they started drinking with friends at the Howlong Golf Resort. By 10 p.m., they had moved on to the 21st birthday celebration, followed by another party in North Albury. Eventually, around 4 a.m., they ended up in the backyard of Walpole’s home.

As they partied, Walpole reportedly consumed between 23 and 35 standard alcoholic drinks, used cocaine, and continued drinking after returning to her backyard.

However, Walpole and Loader allegedly provoked each other, with Walpole acting after Loader made what was referred to as “misogynist comments.” “He was antagonising me. He told me to go to the kitchen where I belong because I’m a girl. I gave it back to him and called him a misogynist,” Walpole shared.

Walpole also told the District Court that Loader had attempted to wrestle her and disturb her sleeping boyfriend. She said, “He was really pushing my buttons,” and admitted she felt overwhelmed by his presence and unsure of how to respond.

The situation boiled over when Loader made the sexist remark, suggesting Walpole belonged in the kitchen baking scones instead of drinking with men. At that point, Walpole left the outdoor table, retrieved a five-litre jerry can of fuel from her garage, and returned.

She then poured the petrol over Loader, who was still seated, and brandished a cigarette lighter. “I’ll do it,” she warned. “Go on, do it,” he responded. Walpole then set him alight, and he was instantly engulfed in flames.

In the chaos that followed, Walpole reportedly stood nearby, repeating, “What the [expletive] have I done?” and “He told me to do it.” Loader’s friends, who were at the Howlong residence, heard his screams and rushed to help.

They tried to smother the flames with a dog bed before throwing him into a pool in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fire.

Walpole fled the scene as neighbors began hearing Loader’s desperate screams. Authorities later apprehended her while she was driving along the Riverina Highway, en route from Howlong to Albury.

Later that day, Walpole reached out to Loader’s girlfriend, Annabelle McGee, via text message around 3 p.m., writing, “Hey, I wanted to let Jake know I’m really sorry for everything that’s happened. I made a really stupid decision and I own that. It was a mistake and I wish I could go back in time. I hope he is OK. I am really sorry.”

But Loader was far from okay. In a state of shock, he initially declined medical attention, unaware of the full extent of his injuries. He remained in the pool for around 30 minutes before being taken to the home of a partygoer’s mother—an emergency ward nurse—who immediately placed him under a cold shower to manage the burns until paramedics arrived.

He was transported to Albury Hospital, then flown to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. There, he spent over two months in the burns unit, including eight days in a medically induced coma, and underwent 10 surgeries.

Loader had suffered third-degree burns covering 55 percent of his body, with an additional six percent sustaining less severe injuries. His burns spanned his back, chest, arms, legs, and face.

In a victim impact statement read earlier this month by Crown prosecutor Max Pincott, he detailed the long-term physical and emotional consequences he now faces.

Loader can no longer be in the sun and his body cannot regulate temperature properly due to the destruction of his sweat glands.

“It will affect the rest of my life,” Loader said. “The horrific scarring to the majority of my body will be a lifelong reminder of this horrific event.”

In court, Walpole expressed regret over her actions, admitting that she hadn’t been thinking clearly at the time. She maintained that she never intended to harm Loader and struggled to understand why she had acted the way she did.

The court was told that Walpole, who had a previous conviction from 2021 for assaulting a pub bouncer, had been misusing drugs and alcohol since late 2022.

She acknowledged the damage caused and wished she could undo what had happened, saying she would do anything to reverse the events of that night.

Walpole, who pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm by means of a corrosive substance, admitted that no one should have to endure what Loader went through, and acknowledged the pain she had inflicted on him and those close to him.

Despite claims of being emotionally overwhelmed due to a failing relationship and feeling mentally trapped, the prosecution argued that these circumstances did not justify her actions.

Prosecutor Pincott pointed out that Walpole had the option to walk away but chose not to, and stressed that her response was grossly disproportionate to anything Loader had done or said.

In the end, the courtroom erupted in cheers from Loader’s supporters as the seven-and-a-half-year sentence was delivered, marking a moment of justice in a deeply disturbing case. During sentencing, Walpole remained calm as her family wept in the courtroom. She will be eligible for parole in November 2029.

Judge Jennifer English, who presided over the case, described the incident as deeply tragic. She noted that it had devastating consequences for both the victim’s and the offender’s families, ultimately shattering two young lives.

The judge also noted, “I find that the assault upon the victim was unprovoked and particularly violent,” adding that she had difficulty accepting Walpole’s claim that depression affected her judgment that night.

The court also heard that Walpole has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has shown signs of rehabilitation, including giving up drugs and alcohol as she begins her sentence.