An eight-year prison sentence is expected for a Victorian woman who killed a 19-day-old baby and a young couple by lighting a deadly fire in Point Cook.
Hayes, 48, pleaded guilty to three counts of arson causing death over the December 2020 fire in front of the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Friday.
A young family died in the blaze, including Abbey Forrest, 19, her partner Inderpal Sohal, 28, and their daughter Ivy. Hayes had lit the fire in revenge for a man who had wronged her.
The Point Cook home had been made available for the man for use by one of Mr Sohal’s friends.
There was a dispute between the friend and Hayes, a sex worker, who was at the house; the man then left after Hayes provided services that were paid for.
Hayes sent him angry texts, including threatening to set his house on fire, after claiming he had raped her and stolen her money.
Four minutes after waiting in her car outside, she stormed back into the house and the downstairs bedroom and set the mattress on fire.
An upstairs bedroom where the young family slept was engulfed by flames due to the fire.
As she was driving away, Hayes sent photos of the burning house to the man who had wronged her.
The sentence handed down by Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth carries a 13-year prison term for Hayes, with a mandatory minimum of eight years before she is eligible for parole.
As of now, she has already served almost two years in prison.
“Three innocent people lost their lives as a result of your actions,” she told Hayes in court. “Ivy was the most vulnerable of all.”
