Name: Man sentenced for 1998 house fire that killed Arthur Haynes
Uploaded: 2025-12-23T06:19:46.894Z
Duration: 1 min 44 s
Description: Gregory John Walker has been sentenced to over ten years in prison for setting the 1998 house fire in Waterloo, Sydney, that resulted in the death of Indigenous boy Arthur Haynes. The sentencing comes nearly three decades after the incident.

Gregory John Walker has been sentenced to over ten years in prison for setting the 1998 house fire in Waterloo, Sydney, that resulted in the death of Indigenous boy Arthur Haynes. The sentencing comes nearly three decades after the incident.

Council of the City of Sydney

Gregory John Walker has been sentenced to 10 years and nine months in prison for his role in the 1998 Waterloo house fire that led to the death of 13-year-old Arthur Haynes. Walker, who was arrested in 2022 after years of evading justice, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting to throwing a Molotov cocktail over a fence during a neighbourhood dispute, not knowing anyone was inside.

Arthur Haynes died from burns sustained in the fire after 11 weeks in hospital. His mother, Julie Zabo, expressed relief at the sentencing, stating it finally brought justice for her son. Walker will be eligible for parole in 2029.

Man sentenced for 1998 house fire that killed Arthur Haynes

27 years on, Arthur Haynes' memory is with his mother Julie, always. It's been a long time and I wanted to hear the truth. And today, the man responsible for her son's death finally learnt his fate. Gregory John Walker, sentenced to 10 years and nine months in jail after taking revenge over a neighbourhood dispute by sparking a Waterloo house fire in 1998. Arthur had been there on a sleepover with his friend, dying from his burns in hospital 11 weeks later. Justice Hammond-Danji today said, He was so sweet and loving, caring. Walker evaded justice until 2022 when he was arrested in Queensland where he'd been running a not-for-profit boxing gym. Initially charged with murder, the 58-year-old instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying he didn't know anyone was home when he lobbed a Molotov cocktail over the back fence. I'm grateful that he's come forward and admitted for his actions for what he's done to my son. As his sentence was read out, Walker's face was expressionless, standing in the dock with his hands clasped. Julie Zabo, meanwhile, continued to grip the framed photograph of her son that she'd held throughout the day's court proceedings. Now the man with a not-guilty tattoo will stay behind bars until eligible for parole in 2029, which for Julie Zabo, finally means justice. Never give up, you know, on hope. You just keep going forward until you get answers and the truth, like I did today. Hannah Stewart, 10 News.

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