A former Brisbane banker is dead after setting himself and his ex-girlfriend's home on fire as she and her family hid in the bathroom.
Detectives were investigating whether the Monday night attack on the Wilmot family in Ipswich was a murder attempt by Teneriffe man Neil de Graaf.
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Banker dies after Ipswich fire
Former Brisbane banker Neil de Graaf dies after suffering extensive burns while setting fire to a house where his ex-girlfriend was staying. Nine News
Mr de Graaf's ex-girlfriend April Wilmot, 23, her 48-year-old mother, Tracey, 18-year-old brother Shannon McLeod and his 18-year-old girlfriend were lucky to be alive after the father-of-four drove his BMW into their garage and set the house alight, police said.
The attacker's mother Margaret said her son had been struggling.
Neighbours doused the 37-year-old man with water after he fled the house on fire and collapsed on the front lawn before he was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Doctors at the renowned burns unit couldn't do anything but put the father-of-four in an induced coma to treat burns to 95 per cent of his body.
They turned his life support off just before 8.30pm on Tuesday after the family was told his body didn't have enough liquid to donate his organs.
Acting Inspector Heath McQueen said when Mr de Graaf crashed through the garage, the traumatised occupants barricaded themselves in the Brookwater home's bathroom before breaking free when he splashed accelerant around the home and set it on fire.
"The gravity of the situation can not be understated, to be honest with you," Acting Inspector Heath McQueen said.
"We're very fortunate today that we're not standing here with a much worse (situation), if you could say that, in that there could have been multiple persons deceased."
Instead, the four in the home were lucky to have relatively minor burns, and two firefighters escaped uninjured when part of the burning house fell on them, before its second storey collapsed entirely.
Attempts by Fairfax Media to contact Ms Wilmot late on Tuesday were unsuccessful.Â
She had been taken to hospital with a burn to her hand after all four occupants of the Brookwater home broke free from the bathroom after Mr De Graaf set it on fire.
Her mother was more seriously injured, taken to the RBWH with burns to her legs and hands, before being released on Tuesday afternoon.
The two 18-year-olds were briefly hospitalised with minor burns.
Aunty Magreth acknowledged her nephew was responsible for his actions but the family was left to mourn a quick-witted, funny man she said had been "unlucky in love" several times.
Mr de Graaf's family said his "on again, off again" relationship had affected his mental health.
"He tried to commit suicide (three) times this year .... he overdosed on many drugs," his mother said.
"He wasn't a monster."
Support is available for anyone who may be distressed by calling Lifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 789 978, Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
Anyone who needs to talk to somebody about domestic violence can call DV Connect on 1800 811 811, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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