‘Die’ said man as he set ex on fire

A man who poured petrol on his former partner and set her alight – while she was holding their 3-month old baby – has been jailed for 51⁄ years.

Shiva Lachman Anand, 33, was sentenced at the Rotorua District Court yesterday in a case Judge Philip Cooper described as ‘‘an extreme example of domestic violence’’.

The arson attack, and a preceding assault, were also witnessed by the victim’s 9-year-old daughter.

The police summary said an argument began about accusations of infidelity before Anand’s former partner removed the key to the home from his key ring, prompting him to demand it back.

‘‘[The victim] refused at which point the defendant has pushed the victim up against the wall and placed her in a headlock, restricting her ability to move.’’

Anand eventually left after the victim’s eldest daughter screamed at him.

An angry exchange of text messages followed, before Anand returned demanding to see the victim’s phone.

He was holding a petrol can and lighter.

‘‘The defendant has continued to demand the cellphone and then began to splash petrol around the lounge and kitchen area,’’ the summary said.

The victim attempted to wrestle the petrol can from Anand – all the time holding their three-month-old baby.

The defendant then poured petrol onto the victim, which splashed onto her boots, and yelled ‘‘You’re going to die b...h’’ and ‘‘show me your phone or I’ll burn your house down’’.

Then Anand set the petrol alight.

The victim and children fled the property with Anand following ‘‘throwing the petrol can at them’’.

Anand’s former partner suffered sustained bruising to her hands, forearms and head, while both children were left deeply traumatised by the events.

Cooper revealed the arson caused $185,000 worth of damage to the property and destroyed all the victim’s and her childrens’ possessions, all of which were uninsured.

He said a pre-sentence report found Anand lacked insight into the consequences of his actions, which he said were ‘‘fuelled by maliciousness and spiteful intent’’. Ministry of Transport fraudster Joanne Harrison faces court action to crack open her KiwiSaver account to help repay some of the $725,000 she stole.

Harrison, 51, has about $110,000 invested in KiwiSaver. She is expected to argue it would be undue hardship for that to be forfeited, even if it was possible under KiwiSaver rules that strictly limit access to the money before retirement.

A legal argument at the High Court in Wellington on Friday was not completed because Justice Rebecca Ellis decided she needed more points covered than had been anticipated.

Harrison, also known as Joanne Sharp, was sentenced to three years and seven months’ jail in February, after pleading guilty to taking more than $725,000 over about three years while she was a manager at the Ministry of Transport.

The Commissioner of Police has asked the court to make orders that bank accounts, a 1.1-hectare property near the Bay of Islands, a Rolex watch, and the KiwiSaver money should be forfeited. Friday’s hearing was just about KiwiSaver.

Harrison’s lawyer, Nathan Bourke, said the KiwiSaver money would be all Harrison would have when she was released from prison.

Her KiwiSaver came from legitimate income in New Zealand, and from employment savings schemes overseas.

A property forfeiture order would be unworkable, he said. The situation was no different to bankrupts, whose KiwiSaver accounts could not be opened to repay their debts.

But Emma Light, for police, said not all Harrison’s property was restrained with a view to having it forfeited, and authorities had not been able to discover where between $100,000 and $150,000 of the misappropriated money had gone.

Harrison still had years in which she could work and save for her retirement.

There was a real possibility that, when she finished her sentence, Harrison, who was English, could leave New Zealand and after 12 months she could shift her KiwiSaver money to another savings scheme overseas, Light said.

But questions remained about whether the KiwiSaver account could be cracked to repay the money, with one possibility being that a forfeiture order made now might not be able to be put into effect until Harrison turns 65.