Man who doused best mate in petrol after argument found NOT GUILTY of attempted murder 

A Victorian man who doused his best mate in petrol and set him on fire has been found guilty of intentionally causing serious injury.

Umit Gorgulu, 39, stood trial before the Victorian Supreme Court accused of the attempted murder of 47-year-old Kevin Taplin at Hamilton in April 2019.

But the jury on Thursday found Gorgulu not guilty of this charge and instead guilty of intentionally causing serious injury.

The pair had been driving from their home in Portland to pick up Mr Taplin’s motorbike when they had a fight in the car and Gorgulu threw his phone out the window.

Umit Gorgulu, 39, stood trial before the Victorian Supreme Court accused of the attempted murder of 47-year-old Kevin Taplin at Hamilton in April 2019

After being separated for several hours, during which Gorgulu left Mr Taplin threatening voice messages from a stranger’s phone, they regrouped at Hamilton.

But Gorgulu then grabbed a five-litre jerry can, which Mr Taplin had packed for his motorbike, and doused him in fuel.

‘It was all over my upper body – I could taste it,’ Mr Taplin told the court.

‘And then he ignited the fuel and set me on fire. I was just completely surrounded by flames. I was in the middle of a fireball.

‘At that stage I knew I was going to die if I couldn’t save myself.’

Mr Taplin could see Gorgulu rolling on the ground, trying to save himself as his hands had also caught fire.

But he said the 39-year-old never tried to help him.

Mr Taplin could also see the lights of a nearby carport.

And he could only hope that his screams for help, which followed Gorgulu punching him about 10 times, smashing his windscreen and setting him alight, would quickly attract attention.

The pair had been driving from their home in Portland to pick up Mr Taplin’s motorbike when they had a fight in the car and Gorgulu threw his phone out the window

‘They saved my life – they ripped off my spray jacket, which still had petrol on it, and hosed me down for about 10 minutes,’ Mr Taplin said of the strangers who came outside to assist him.

‘By the time I got into the back of an ambulance the adrenaline wore off and the pain started coming in. I got a (pain relief) whistle and pretty much passed out.’

Mr Taplin was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with severe burns to his head, torso, hands, arms, legs and internal organs.

He was placed on life support, spent two weeks in a coma, and still has scarring, lung damage and eye damage from the attack.

Gorgulu is expected to face a plea hearing on May 30.