Jail time for car arsonist

A 23 year old woman, who received serious burns after standing too close to a stolen vehicle she set on fire, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months. Annaliese Kirchen appeared in custody via video link at the Wangaratta Magistrates' Court on Monday, before Magistrate Ian Watkins for sentence. Kirchen had pleaded guilty to charges including driving while disqualified, criminal damage by arson and reckless conduct endangering serious injury. The court had heard Kirchen's offending included an incident last year, when she doused a stolen Holden Captiva that was dumped at Goorambat with petrol and ignited it. The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames and Kirchen stood too close, which caused her leggings to catch fire, and she received serious burns to her ankles. She was eventually arrested by police at a hotel on Flinders Lane in Melbourne in June of last year. During another incident in September, Kirchen was seen driving erratically in Wangaratta. Police members observed her driving at speeds of up to 120kph in a 60kph zone, and at one point a man was forced to jump clear to avoid being struck. Police were forced to terminate the pursuit. Kirchen's defence solicitor, Geoff Clancy, told the court his client had been doing well in custody and had completed a number of courses. Magistrate Watkins said Kirchen came before the court with a "significant history" but was someone whose childhood "wasn’t the happiest". "That’s not your fault," he said. "The tapestry that was woven in your childhood has been responsible in part for your offending. "It's not too late to turn your life around, it's not too late to go on and be a responsible citizen." Kirchen has spent 217 days in custody which was reckoned as time served, meaning she will be eligible for parole soon.

Jail time for car arsonist

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