ACT Supreme Court sentences Taylor Jones to mostly suspended jail term for Reid arson

Taylor John Jones, 28, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday to 57 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of arson, common assault and possessing an offensive weapon with intent.

Prosecutor James Melloy had earlier played to the court CCTV footage, which showed a frustrated Jones banging on his upstairs neighbour's door at a Reid public housing complex in September 2022.

The pair subsequently traded threats and insults during a heated argument about the neighbour's booming bass.

Jones, who stormed up and down the stairs between his unit and his neighbour's place, cradled a large dog at stages of the screaming match.

"How about you follow the f---ing rules?" he roared at one point.

When the 28-year-old made his final trip to the upper floor, having deposited his dog downstairs, he had a knife and the aerosol can in his hands.

"You wanna be a smart arse?" he yelled as his neighbour briefly blared the music again.

While the bass was no longer audible in the CCTV by the time he was back outside the neighbour's door, Jones stabbed the can and ignited it with a lighter.

From inside, his neighbour's partner told him she was going to report him.

This did not deter Jones, who declared "I don't give a f---" before using the flaming can to set his neighbour's front door ablaze.

While doing so, he accidentally set the right leg of his own pants on fire.

"I've had enough of this," he shouted. "All the time. All the time. I need sleep! I need sleep! Had enough of it! I have begged and pleaded!"

When the neighbour came out of his unit and started to chase Jones, the 28-year-old raised his knife, screamed "back the f--- up", and charged at him, narrowly missing his legs with the blade.

The neighbour's partner ultimately called police and officers later arrived at the scene to arrest Jones, who had singed hair and burnt tracksuit pants.

Jones, who was on a good behaviour order for a property damage offence at the time, spent the next 17 days in custody before being granted bail.

He gave evidence on Thursday, telling the court there had been an ongoing conflict with his neighbour and the loud music was just "the issue of the day".

The 28-year-old said he had tried everything he could think of to settle their differences, including calling the police, speaking to his neighbour politely and even cooking the man steak, sausages and seafood before the arson attack.

"Unfortunately, it just didn't work," Jones told the court, insisting he had not intended to hurt anyone and had only armed himself as "a visual deterrent".

"I do apologise for it every day ... at the time, I was completely irrational and exhibiting no self-control."

Under cross-examination by Mr Melloy, Jones conceded he was more sorry about the toll the incident had taken on himself than he was about the impact on his neighbour.

Jones told the court he had lost his home and his pets as a result of his offending, adding he lived in a tent for a while before moving in with his sister.

He said he was happy with his new living arrangements and his employment at an "incredibly wonderful" restaurant.

Jones' lawyer, Edward Chen, subsequently told the court the offender had been a man "crying out for help", but none had been forthcoming.

"He reached a boiling point," Mr Chen said.

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Mr Chen asked Justice David Mossop to impose a mostly suspended jail sentence, having regard to the time Jones had already spent behind bars.

Mr Melloy did not seek a different outcome.

Justice Mossop, who said the incident did not appear to be "a calculated reprisal", ultimately backdated the sentence to reflect time already served.

He said Jones had "completely lost his cool", and suspended the remaining 40 days of jail time in favour of a series of six-month good behaviour orders.

Justice Mossop expressed some sympathy for Jones' plight at the "antisocial" unit complex where the offending occurred, but he stressed that the "toxic environment" did not excuse the arsonist's crimes.

"Having good neighbours can be a good thing," the judge said.

"Having neighbours you neither see nor hear is alright.

"Having bad neighbours can be awful. However, the law does not recognise arson as a solution to having bad neighbours."

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