Samuel Leeming pleads guilty to indecent act at Goodlife Gym Maroochydore

A Sunshine Coast carpenter who walked in on a woman drying herself off after a shower at a gym, before leaving her a smutty note, has received a magistrate spray in court.

Samuel Marshall Leeming leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday.

An aspiring Alexandra Headland physiotherapist has had his actions labelled as “disgusting” after he invited a woman into his shower at a local gym while he was naked.

Samuel Marshall Leeming, 28, left his number for a woman he met in the Maroochydore Goodlife Gym change rooms before issuing her the creepy request on November 18, 2023.

The encounter was retold in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to indecent act in any place to which the public are permitted access.

Police prosecutor Stu Lydford said the woman was using the showers when she left the cubicle naked and started to dry herself.

Samuel Marshall Leeming leaving court on Thursday.

Sergeant Stu Lydford said she noticed a nearby shower hadn’t turned on its water and shortly afterwards Leeming opened its door.

“Sorry I must be in the wrong bathroom,” Leeming told the woman, according to the prosecutor.

The court heard the victim decided to dry her hair to give the Alexandra Headland man a chance to go to the male showers.

She walked through the locker room and returned five minutes later to get her things when she saw the shower door where Leeming had been was closed again.

Leeming wants to work as a physiotherapist.

Sergeant Lydford said Leeming called out to her and said “I’ve left my phone number on your bag”.

The court was told he opened the shower door while he was naked and said “do you want to join me”.

“No way,” she said before she left and reported the incident to staff.

The police prosecutor said it was “concerning behaviour” as Leeming was given plenty of opportunities to leave but he didn’t.

Defence lawyer Michael Robinson said the carpenter, who was studying to be a physiotherapist, did not give his solicitor instructions about the actual offence.

Mr Robinson said the 28-year-old however had limited history and was concerned about the effect a conviction would have on his career aspirations.

“It was disgraceful behaviour,” magistrate Rod Madsen said.

“You should be able to go to the gym and have a shower afterwards … I hoped they banned you from the gym at the very least.

Mr Madsen called it “reprehensible” and said he was lucky he didn’t get charged with other offences.

Leeming was fined $2000 with no conviction recorded.