Wiluna man set fire to brother’s home as ‘act of revenge’ then boasted about it on camera

A Wiluna man who set his brother’s home on fire after a fight then bragged about the arson attack while being filmed outside the burning property, has been jailed for three years. The Wiluna home, which was owned by the Department of Communities, was completely destroyed on April 9 after Colin Hayden Walker broke in and set fire to a fabric couch — with flames quickly engulfing the home. It was an “act of revenge” against his brother — who lived in the home, but was not present during the incident — after a verbal disagreement while watching football on the TV the day before turned physical. On Monday, Kalgoorlie District Court was shown footage of the 26-year-old arsonist immediately after setting off the blaze which shows him bragging to the person filming, with a red lighter in his hand. “I just f...... burnt your house down bro,” Walker said during the video. State prosecutor Matthew Thompson said the man then attempted to obstruct good Samaritans and volunteers who attempted to put the fire out, telling them to not help, and “let it burn down”. The incident occurred at 9am, and shortly after the fire was dealt with, Walker handed himself into Wiluna police. On Monday, his lawyer Lucy Howard told the court Walker had previously lived at the home but had longstanding issues with his brother, who he claims had assaulted him several times since his teenage years. Ms Howard said it had led to “significant built-up anger”, paired with significant drinking and the knowledge no one would be home, led to the decision to ignite the blaze. Ms Howard said Walker was aware his actions did not only affect his brother, but also his family and the wider community who was also at risk. “He knew what he did was wrong,” she said. Mr Thompson told the court arson was a serious charge, with the motive in this case being an “act of revenge” against Walker’s own brother, which caused “remarkable damage” to the State Government-owned house. Mr Thompson said the video showed Walked “gloated” and “boasted” about the fire, while looking back at what he had done and showing off his lighter which started it all. “This was somebody’s home,” he said. “There is simply no justification.” The District Court judge said it was accepted Walker now felt sorry for his actions, and the bill — Walker had pleaded guilty that day — but told him it was more than just the dollar value, it was about the destruction of his brother’s personal items, and the risk of harm to others. The judge said an immediate term of imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence, and told Walker to use the time behind bars to get counselling. “I’m sure there’s some other way at dealing with your anger,” they said. “You need to develop skills to deal with with feelings against your brother. “You’ve been offending consistently since the age of 18.” The judge sentenced Walker to three years behind bars, and made him eligible for parole after serving 18 months. The custody stint was backdated to May 3 to account for time already spent in jail leading up to sentencing.