Chilling words a man allegedly said after allegedly killing his wife by setting their house on fire – while a neighbor desperately ransacked her to try and save her life
- Roland Griffiths charged in his wife’s death
- The court heard that he tried to kiss her and to apologize
A neighbor heroically jumped a fence and applied a hose to a woman who would later die from burns allegedly inflicted by her husband, a court has said.
Kylie Griffiths, 36, reportedly died from burns when her home in Albanvale was set on fire on March 14 last year. Her husband, Roland James Griffiths, has been charged with murder over her death.
A teenager was also seriously injured, while there were also four other residents of the house at the time.
Roland Griffiths is accused of killing his wife, Kylie Griffiths, in a fire in Albanvale last year. Image: Delivered
On the first day of what is scheduled to be a three-day hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the Griffiths’ neighbour, Adrian Hamilton, said he jumped over their fence and started watering Ms Griffiths with a garden hose. after noticing the fire.
“I heard a loud bang,” Mr Hamilton told the court.
“I assumed it might have something to do with a barbie,” he said.
Mr Hamilton said he also helped lift some children over the Griffiths’ fence.
During cross-examination by barrister John Saunders, acting for the defendant, Mr Hamilton said he had experienced some ‘difficulties’ with Mr Griffiths, who he said had threatened to burn down his own house.
“It’s aimed at me and my family,” he said.
Mr Hamilton told the court the threats came after Mr Griffiths found out that Mr Hamilton had made complaints about him to the police and the Victorian Housing Department.
Mr Hamilton also told the court he heard Mr Griffiths say he ‘doesn’t care’ if he went to jail while making the threats.
Roland James Griffiths was charged with the murder of his wife after the fatal house fire in Albanvale, Melbourne. The photo shows the police on the scene a year ago
Earlier on Monday, the court was told Mr Griffiths showed ‘extreme concern’ for the woman he allegedly killed as he suffered from his own extreme burns.
During a cross-examination of Mr. Saunders, Officer Brett Seychell confirmed that Mr. Griffiths “expressed his love” for the alleged victim, tried to kiss her and apologized.
Constable Seychell confirmed that Griffiths ‘started shaking’ and tried to ‘get up and leave’ in the direction of the other burn victims.
The court was told that, according to his statement, Griffiths turned to a teenager and said “you weren’t meant to be grabbed by it.”
The first witness for the day, Constable Dylan Grenfell from Werribee, said he arrived on the scene to see Mrs Griffiths being ‘hossed down’ by a neighbor in a driveway.
Constable Grenfell confirmed that he had a conversation with the deceased on a nature strip after the incident.
Mr Griffiths, who appeared in court via video from prison, was largely expressionless during the hearing.
Firefighter Christopher Watson said in his testimony that he supplied Ms Griffiths with oxygen on arrival and poured bottled water over her burns, the court was told.
Mr Watson also saw the suspect “crying out in pain with severe burns to his back and shoulders,” the court said.
Griffiths spent two months in hospital last year before being charged with the murder of Mrs Griffiths.
The hearing for Magistrate Malcolm Thomas continues.
Roland James Griffiths (pictured) allegedly expressed his love for his wife after setting fire to a house, the court said on Monday