AP – Tue, Nov 8, 2011MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian woman who killed a man by pouring gasoline over him after she was told he had fondled her has been sentenced to seven years in jail.
Kerry McNiven pleaded guilty in August to manslaughter in the death of her friend Gary Stewart.
Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry said on Tuesday that several people witnessed Stewart touching McNiven's breasts when she was passed out at a party in the Victoria city of Wangaratta in 2009. McNiven was later told about the incident and poured gasoline over Stewart in retaliation.
Stewart caught fire and later died from his burns.
Lasry says it's unclear what ignited the fire. The judge says Stewart or someone nearby may have been smoking.
McNiven will be eligible for parole in two years.
