A 59-year-old man named Steele Wilson has been sentenced to more than four years in prison following his guilty plea for firebombing Eden Marine High School in December 2024. He carried out the attack using Molotov cocktails filled with petrol and mineral oil, creating three fires that severely damaged the property. The sentencing took place in the Bega District Court, where considerations of Wilson's past experiences of childhood sexual abuse at the same school were discussed, as he claimed these experiences fueled his motivations for the attack.

During the court proceedings, Wilson appeared via video link from the South Coast Correctional Centre, where he was dressed in prison garb and displayed a visibly subdued demeanor. Judge Nicole Noman acknowledged Wilson's claims of past abuse but stated that such circumstances did not excuse his violent actions. The court highlighted the serious nature of the crime, emphasizing that the firebombing posed significant risks to the safety of students, staff, and the wider community.

Wilson's sentencing has raised discussions about the intersections of trauma and criminal behavior, particularly regarding how victims of abuse might respond to their experiences later in life. While he will be eligible for parole in November 2027, the case has sparked conversations around the need for support services for victims of childhood abuse and the ongoing impacts such experiences can have on individuals into adulthood.