Timothy Loosemore, a 62-year-old British national, is set to be sentenced for the manslaughter of Maree Vermont, his Australian Airbnb host, whose home he subsequently set on fire. The Supreme Court of Victoria heard that Loosemore had developed an unreciprocated infatuation with Ms. Vermont, 60, and allegedly killed her before attempting to conceal the crime by torching her property.

During a pre-sentence hearing, Justice Andrew Tinney noted Loosemore's apparent lack of concern for Ms. Vermont in the hours following her death. "His only concern was for himself and his bicycle and his other possessions," Justice Tinney stated, describing the behavior as "unnerving."

The court heard that Loosemore had been staying in one of Ms. Vermont's spare rooms as an Airbnb guest. Their relationship had evolved from a "casual relationship" to one where Loosemore desired more intimacy, which Ms. Vermont repeatedly rejected. Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson, KC, told the jury that Loosemore "snapped" after these rejections, violently assaulting Ms. Vermont and then setting her house ablaze.

Forensic evidence, including DNA traces of Ms. Vermont's blood found on Loosemore's clothing, indicated that she fought for her life. Despite five accessible exits, her body was discovered face down in the living room. The severity of the inferno, with evidence of flammable liquid use, made it impossible for forensic experts to determine the exact cause of death, preventing juries from concluding she had been murdered.

Loosemore's account of the events has varied. He initially told neighbors and first responders that he had briefly left the house and returned to find it engulfed in flames, sometimes mentioning a "small argument" with Ms. Vermont. However, he later claimed to have been asleep upstairs and discovered the fire upon waking. Defence barrister Christopher Farrington argued that Loosemore maintained he had "no memory of what took place," which explained his lack of remorse.

Justice Tinney questioned this claim, suggesting that Loosemore's account was "much more consistent with a person who has simply been refusing to tell the truth about what occurred."

Loosemore, originally from Somerset in the UK, had a background in civil construction before winding up his business. He had been married twice and has three children residing in the UK. He and his family were Australian citizens for a period before returning to the UK. Loosemore returned to Australia in September 2022 for a cycling trip and stayed at Ms. Vermont's property through a farmstay arrangement where he exchanged work for accommodation and food.

He had no prior criminal history, and acquaintances described him as polite and helpful. Ms. Vermont's sons were present at the court hearing, with one, Darcy Vermont, telling reporters that the day was difficult but brought a sense of closure for their family.

Loosemore is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.