A troubling saga that began with an angry eviction escalated dramatically, culminating in a harrowing incident of arson targeting a household that included two young children and their grandmother.
Touted as “the housemate from hell” by those unfortunate enough to cross her path, the woman’s three-month campaign of intimidation was laid bare in the courtroom, where her actions were reviewed in detail.
Tsai-Wei Hung, aged 33, appeared before Melbourne’s County Court and admitted to a range of serious offenses. Her guilty plea spanned over a dozen charges, featuring crimes such as extortion, four counts of arson, and two charges related to conduct that endangered lives.
In a particularly alarming incident in June 2024, Hung reportedly shouted “go to hell” as she ignited the front door of her former landlord’s home. At the time, the residence was occupied by 11 individuals, including children and an elderly woman, who were all asleep, according to court testimony.
In anticipation of possible trouble, landlord Lin Zhang had invited friends over for added security and support, joining his tenants in a bid to safeguard against Hung’s increasingly aggressive behavior following her eviction.
The situation had initially reached a boiling point on March 10, when police intervention was necessary to remove Hung from Zhang’s property in Clyde North, an event that marked the beginning of her vengeful spree.
However, less than two hours later Hung returned to retrieve more belongings and police were called a second time, which caused her to become “angry and aggressive”, prosecutor David Gray said.
She got into her car and drove to the back garage, where she threw eggs at the roller door.
Hung then accelerated towards her former housemate Chung-Ting Tuan and Zhang “at fast speed”, stopping sharply about one metre away from them, Gray said.
She drove into the garage roller door, damaging it and three vehicles parked inside, fleeing before police arrived.
Hung returned the next day to further damage the vehicles inside the garage and went to Pakenham Police Station that afternoon where she claimed “she just wanted to scare them”.
On June 10 Hung returned to the Clyde North rental and set the front door on fire and then set two cars alight.
A former housemate who claimed to have had a friendly relationship with Hung, sent her a message the next day as she “felt there needed to be better communication about what Hung wanted”, Gray said.
“Please tell him that he and his family have to be careful or they will have the same experience as me, or even lose more than that,” Hung said in the text.
Zhang arranged for his tenants to stay with him in Berwick that evening and invited friends over for an added level of protection, as his children and their grandmother were sleeping inside.
About 4.45am Hung poured accelerant outside the front entrance of his home and used matches to set it alight, with Zhang hearing her say “go to hell” before starting the fire.
The fire was put out easily, but Hung’s victims told the court today how they continue to live with trauma from her offending.
“I was absolutely terrified,” a child said, in a statement read by Gray.
“Ever since Hung came into our lives everything has become really intense. I keep worrying that I’ll be burnt to death.”
Zhang said he lived in “constant fear” between March and June of 2024.
“This experience has permanently damaged my sense of safety,” he said, in a statement read to court.
“Even in my own home I don’t feel safe.”
Defence lawyer Courtney Hart said Hung was assaulted on March 10 by other tenants and had “allowed it to fester in her mind” leading her to commit the offences.
Hung, who remains in custody, will return to the court in January
Outside court, Zhang said Hung was “the housemate from hell” but her behaviour was even worse than that.
“It’s been a disaster and a nightmare for us,” he said.
