Man sentenced to five years in jail for arson attack on Bondi home of YouTube commentator FriendlyJordies

<p>Judge says Tufi Junior Tauese-Auelua, who assisted in targeted attack in 2022, was ‘used as muscle for third parties’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/sep/29/australia-news-live-optus-suffers-fresh-triple-zero-glitch-labors-first-deficit-not-as-bad-as-feared">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Moments before another lengthy jail term, the arsonist who set the home of a popular YouTuber on fire has apologised from “the bottom of my heart”.</p><p>Jordan Shanks – better known by his online alias of FriendlyJordies – had been making videos about Sydney identities when arsonists set upon his Bondi residence in 2022.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/29/friendlyjordies-jordan-shanks-arson-attack-bondi-home-youtuber-tufi-junior-tauese-auelua-jailed-five-years">Continue reading...</a>