A man accused of attempted murder after allegedly setting a woman on fire has also been charged with assaulting another female victim.
Family and friends of the woman allegedly set on fire packed a small suburban courtroom in Queensland for the first scheduled appearance of the man charged with her attempted murder.
Renata Edward Manning, 36, was arrested at Kingston, south of Brisbane, on Saturday and charged with eight offences against two women including one count each of attempted murder, common assault and breach of a court order.
Manning has been accused of producing a lighter and setting 34-year-old Destiny Otton-Rakuraku on fire.
Manning was not required to appear in person or via video link in Beenleigh magistrates court on Monday for the first mention of his charges.
Police allege the pair were involved in an altercation about 7.45am on Saturday before Manning pulled out a lighter and set Otton-Rakuraku on fire.
She was treated by paramedics at the scene and was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital in a serious condition.
Court documents showed Manning was also charged with assaulting and causing bodily harm to another woman on 15 January and assaulting her again on Saturday.
Defence solicitor Jacilynn Young did not apply for bail in court on Monday.
“I’m seeking an adjournment of perhaps five weeks for a legal aid application to be lodged and considered,” she said.
Young also applied for prosecutors to provide the defence with a brief of evidence within five weeks.
The magistrate, Tracy Mossop, adjourned the matter to 12 March and remanded Manning in custody.
Otton-Rakuraku’s friends and supporters declined to comment as they left court.
An online fundraiser for Otton-Rakuraku’s medical bills and recovery had more than $26,500 pledged during its first 24 hours of accepting donations.
