The Bribbaree property where Nerol Doble, 65, was doused in petrol and set alight by her son Shannon Doble on 7 January, 2024. She died two days later. Photo: Supplied.
“Nan and I both died that day — she was just the only one who stopped breathing,” a young woman told the NSW Supreme Court as she described the moment her grandmother was fatally attacked at a property at Bribbaree, near Young in southern NSW, in 2024.
Reading her victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing of Shannon James Doble on Friday (10 April), the young woman — who cannot be named because she was 16 at the time — described the devastating loss of her grandmother, Nerol Doble.
“Eighth of January, 2024, was the day I lost the other half of my soul, my reason for living,” she said. “My nan was the light of my world. She was there for me when no-one else was, and that was stolen from me at the age of 16.”
Shannon Doble, 44, who was living in a modified bus on the property at the time of the attack on 7 January, 2024, has pleaded guilty to murdering the 65-year-old after a dispute over fuel escalated into him repeatedly striking her with a fuel container, before dousing the family home and then Mrs Doble in petrol and setting both alight.
The young woman, who had been staying at the property, repeatedly tried to intervene as the attack unfolded.
Prosecutors said she placed herself between the accused and her grandmother in an attempt to protect her, but was kicked away.
As petrol was ignited, the flames burned her legs while she stood close to her grandmother.
She later attempted to use a garden hose to pour water over her grandmother, who had suffered catastrophic burns.
Emergency services were called and Mrs Doble was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital with extensive burns. She died two days later.
The young woman told the court the loss had left an emptiness she struggled to describe.
“My nan is irreplaceable and there will forever be a massive hole in my heart,” she said. “That hole is filled with grief, regret and the question: ‘Why?’.”
She said the trauma of that day continued to shape her life, describing constant nightmares, fear, and how, in the months that followed, she would hide in classrooms and bathrooms at school, rarely leaving the house.
“I’m having panic attacks every second of the day,” she said. “I never know if something bad will happen, because even family can change your life forever.”
Despite finishing school, she said the milestone felt hollow.
“She never got to see me graduate,” she said. “She’ll never get to see me get married, have kids or succeed.”
Her grief, she said, was also complicated by the loss of the uncle she once loved.
“I also grieve the uncle I had,” she said. “I wish I could say I hate him more than anything — but I’ll die hating myself more. I hate that I couldn’t prevent it. I hate I couldn’t save him from this either.”
After the young woman finished reading her statement, Justice Julia Lonergan praised her courage.
“You were an extremely brave girl on that day,” the judge said. “I read the agreed statement of facts and I thought what you did was remarkable.
“You put yourself in harm’s way to help your nan. You gave her comfort and you were there for her when she called out for you because she knew you would comfort her.
“I want you to always think you were brave and you were strong and you helped your nan that day.”
Further victim impact statements presented to the court laid bare the depth of the family’s grief.
A statement by Mrs Doble’s husband, Mark Ciscaldi, was read to the court by her daughter-in-law, Katarina Biondic.
He described his wife as a kind and hardworking woman who brought warmth and stability to those around her.
“She was someone who tried to see the good in others and always wanted the best for her family,” Mr Ciscaldi wrote.
“On the day my wife Nerol Doble was murdered, my world changed forever. The impact of her loss has affected every part of my life.
“The plans we had together, the life we were building in Bribbaree, the years we expected to share, are gone.”
Ms Biondic also read a broader statement on behalf of the Doble family, describing the devastation left behind as “catastrophic” and “unsurvivable”.
She said the family was still grappling with the cruelty inflicted on their mother and the disregard shown for their teenage niece.
“I thought my brothers were and are my first best mates — not all, it seems, because you took our mum’s life, our niece’s innocence and optimism, and I lost a brother,” she said.
She said there could never be any excuse for what had happened and described the act as “unforgivable”.
“I will always be mentally tormented by the images of my mum on her deathbed,” Ms Biondic said.
“Our mother died that day. So did our brother.”
In her closing submissions, prosecutor Virginia Morgan argued the attack was deliberate and calculated — pointing to Doble’s prior threats, his words “You’re going to burn, bitch” as he doused his mother in petrol, and his decision to kick aside his teenage niece as she repeatedly placed herself between them, trying to protect her grandmother.
She said it was “extremely reckless” to pour petrol while the young woman remained nearby, and that his actions were intended to kill.
Defence barrister Michael King, instructed by Diane Elston of Legal Aid, said Doble had pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility for the killing, asking the court to take into account mitigating factors including his traumatic childhood, years of emotional abuse, mental health issues and lack of premeditation — though even his own psychiatrist accepted that beyond the first strike, his actions were too complex and coordinated to be explained by a loss of control.
Justice Lonergan will sentence Doble, who remains in custody, on 6 May.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
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