The townhouse fire at Myola Street in the Logan suburb of Browns Plains that killed Langham and Hely.Credit:Nine News
Doreen Langham,49,died when Gary Hely,also 49,used petrol to set fire to her townhouse in Browns Plains – in Logan,south of Brisbane – on February 22,2021. Hely also died in the fire.
Langham had made repeated calls to police and been granted a temporary protection order against Hely by a court two weeks before.
Hours before the fire,Langham called triple-zero to report Hely breaching the order. The call was assessed as ‘code three’ – meaning a non-urgent job.It took police hours to arrive.
When they did arrive,they knocked on Langham’s door,but got no answer. They did not check Langham’s property,or speak to Langham’s neighbours who were aware of the situation.
Doreen Langham (right) and her daughter Tabitha.
Deputy state coroner Jane Bentley said Hely had likely been around Langham’s property most of the day,before hiding in her backyard about midnight and starting the fire about 3.30am.
“He went to her residence complex about 2.30pm on February 21. He was at the front of the residence when Ms Langham called police at 9.21pm,” Bentley said.