An Indian man who said he was set alight by assailants in Melbourne has been given a suspended jail term for trying to torch his car to claim $11,000 in insurance.
Jaspreet Singh, 28, of Essendon, had told police he was doused with petrol and set alight after he parked his car near his home early on January 8 this year.
But police later found he had suffered the burns while trying to torch his Ford sedan.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
'Premeditated'
Magistrate Felicity Broughton said he was involved in a premeditated enterprise to obtain the insurance money.
Ms Broughton said he had cynically fed into concerns at the time about attacks on Indian nationals in Melbourne.
Singh pleaded guilty to criminal damage, making a false report to police and attempting to obtain property by deception.
He was sentenced to an eight-month jail term, wholly suspended for two years.
He spent a month in hospital with burns to his face, arms and hands.
