A 24-year-old woman from Howlong, NSW, has been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for setting her longtime friend, Jake Loader, on fire during a night of heavy drinking in January 2024.
Corbie Jean Walpole poured petrol over Loader after a heated argument at her home, then ignited him with a lighter. Loader, 23 at the time, suffered third-degree burns to 55% of his body and endured over two months in hospital, including 10 surgeries and time in a coma. “The horrific scarring… will be a lifelong reminder of this horrific event,” he said.
Walpole later texted his girlfriend, expressing deep regret: “It was a mistake and I wish I could go back in time.” In court, she admitted she wasn’t thinking clearly and had been using drugs and alcohol heavily since 2022.
Judge Jennifer English called the attack “unprovoked and particularly violent.” Despite Walpole’s remorse and diagnosis of PTSD, the court emphasized her actions were extreme and unjustified. Loader’s supporters applauded the verdict. Walpole will be eligible for parole in 2029.
