Offender fled fatal arson scene 'in shock'

A carpenter played a very limited role in a crime in which his friend kicked in a door before accidentally burning to death in a fire he lit inside a Sydney house, a judge has been told.

Jayden Reed went into the house "for a limited degree for a limited time" behind Hayden Forrest but did not smash property, yell threats, pour petrol or light the blaze, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

But the Crown submitted Reed had minimised his role and while not involved in the fire, had foreseen the possibility his friend would form the intention of doing what he did.

Reed, 25, has pleaded guilty to break and enter, and damaging property by fire, knowing people were in the Elderslie house on June 1, 2019.

He also pleaded guilty to, while in the company of Hayden Forrest, using an offensive weapon to intimidate the occupants of a car earlier on June 1.

The carpenter asked the judge to take into account a third matter of, being in company, destroying or damaging a Range Rover.

Reed faced a sentence hearing in the Campbelltown District Court on Wednesday before Judge Christopher O'Brien.

He was told Forrest wanted to recover a debt from a man, which led to him and Reed attacking the innocent occupants of a car, wrongly believed to be connected to the man.

They later went to the Elderslie house where Forrest intended torching a car but ended up kicking in the front door and lighting a fire, from which an innocent family managed to escape, but he did not.

Reed told the court he had been intoxicated and "paranoid" on the night.

He and his "very angry" friend got out of their car armed with a hammer and a knife before approaching the occupants of the other vehicle.

When they tried to escape, one of the friends attacked the car a second time before the victims managed to flee.

Reed said Forrest then told him he wanted to torch the debtor's car and he went along to Elderslie to support him.

But Forrest failed to cause a fire after pouring petrol and using a lighter on the car, because "being intoxicated maybe he missed".

He denied a suggestion by prosecutor Henry Sutherland that this did not happen, before his friend kicked in the front door.

According to the agreed facts, items were smashed in the kitchen, three attempts were made to start small fires in the laundry, petrol was poured in the living room and hallway, and set alight.

"By the time I got inside the house the flames were already burning and I could not see Hayden anywhere," Reed said.

"I was not in the house for long, I didn't know what was happening."

Asked why he fled and did not stay to help anyone, Reed said "because I was in shock, I didn't really know what to do" and was not thinking properly due to intoxication.

Mr Sutherland said the Crown disputed the testimony about Forrest's failed attempt to torch the car.

"The offender's evidence about standing outside and only entering the house as the house was burning is not something Your Honour would accept."

His lawyer Martin Bernhaut said his client was remorseful and accepted the offences were serious, particularly the fire which had a substantial impact on the family.

He will be sentenced on November 26.