‘You’re too old for this now’: District Court judge slams actions of Kimberley woman after house fires

A WA District Court judge has slammed the actions of a Kimberley woman who set fire to a house and burned down another, sentencing her to five years in prison. Delphine Birrell, 29, was sentenced on January 22 at Perth District Court after being found guilty of criminal damage by fire in relation to destroying two Cable Beach homes in 2021. The court heard Birrell became angry with a man known to her — after he withheld her phone until his car was returned — before she set fire to his house and fled the scene. The fire destroyed the property and a neighbouring unit, endangering the life of its occupant who was forced to flee. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the man said he lost all his belongings and experienced a severe decline in his health. During sentencing, Judge Linda Black said Birrell’s offending “wasn’t some mistake” and showed “no regret” during the incident. “There are some people who set fire to things and then as they’re walking away they call the fire department because they want to make their point but reduce the damage,” Judge Black said. “You didn’t do that — you just ran away.” While Judge Black acknowledged Birrell’s troubled upbringing around violence and struggles with substance abuse, she ordered her to stop “wasting her life”. “Stop hitting people. Stop committing offences. You need to get your life together. You’ve got a brain in your head . . . you’re clearly a smart woman who has a lot of potential,” Judge Black said. “So use this time in jail to turn your life around. You’re too old for this now. You’re too old for this business.” Birrell was made eligible for parole, backdated to September 2023.