A Nigerian, Stanley Obi, has died after his ex-partner, Sarah Mudge, broke into his home and doused him and his new girlfriend in petrol before setting them alight.
Sarah, 31, was also killed in the blaze she is believed to have started in the bedroom of her ex-partner Stanley in New Beith, Logan, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Stanley received burns to 90 per cent of his body and tragically died from his severe injuries at 10pm on Thursday.
In a statement, police said the 33-year-old was transported to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital suffering critical burns following the house fire.
Sarah’s body was located inside the premises. Official identification of her body is underway, with an autopsy to be conducted shortly.
On a GoFundMe page set up for the “Obi family children”, the victim’s friend, Jonathan, offered some insights into what happened in the early hours of March 10, 2022.
“It was supposed to be a day to mark the beginning of a new chapter, having won custody of his children and guardianship of a third,” he wrote.
“It has been reported that his ex-partner Sarah and mother of the three children ‘somehow gained entry and then once in there was able to throw petrol around’ and lit Stanley and his partner alight.
“Somehow and thankfully, his current partner and three children escaped, but unfortunately Stanley himself was very badly burned while shielding his family and was initially in intensive care, but sadly did not survive through the night and passed away.
“The ex-partner Sarah (and mother of the children) who started the fire, died at the scene in the blaze.”
Jonathan wrote that Mr Obi will be remembered as a “very kind compassionate young man”.
The pair were estranged and had previously applied for domestic violence orders against each other – while police confirmed custody proceedings involving children had been progressing.
Three children aged 5, 3 and 2 managed to escape the blaze, while a 30-year-old woman – understood to be Stanley’s new partner – also survived the incident without major physical injury.
Stanley Obi was a care manager for the Aveo Group’s Newstead retirement community in Brisbane. He bought the Logan property in 2019 and built the house where he has lived for the past several months.
