Joshua Smith set tent alight to ‘evict’ neighbour from notorious Sydney shanty town
A man who believed his neighbour was a “pedophile” set his tent on fire in an effort to run him out of a notorious campsite in some Sydney sand dunes, a court has heard.
Manly
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A homeless man, living in a notorious “tent city” in the dunes at Dee Why Beach, set fire to a neighbouring campsite because he thought its occupant was a pedophile, a court has heard.
Joshua Christopher Smith, who tried to “evict” the other man from the shanty town, then assaulted police called out to reports of a blaze at the beach in October 2022.
Smith, 36, used a butane gas lighter to set the tent alight before kicking one officer in the head, Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday.
The court was also told that in a separate incident, in May, a drug-affected Smith assaulted three young workers, including a 20-year-old female manager, at the McDonald’s restaurant in Beacon Hill.
He chased the woman around the fast food outlet, saying he “loved” her, before twice violently pushing her into walls. He then assaulted two young male co-workers who came to her aid.
A police officer was then assaulted while trying to arrest him.
The shanty settlement, on public land stretching between Dee Why Lagoon and the beach, has been a focus for police and Northern Beaches Council attention for several years due to a series of violent incidents.
Locals had also complained that people living in the dunes were stealing from their homes and intimidating people on the walking trail along the lagoon foreshore. There is no suggestion Smith is responsible for any thefts or intimidation.
In August 2023, authorities demolished many of the campsites and evicted most of its residents.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count each of damaging property by fire, assaulting police and resisting arrest over the Dee Why Beach incidents.
He also pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault and one count of assaulting police over the attacks at McDonald’s.
Smith’s solicitor, Peter Skidmore, said his client, who arrived from New Zealand in 2008, had suffered a troubled upbringing.
Mr Skidmore said Smith had also lived through long periods of homelessness in Australia, and had been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder.
“He thought (the man at the Dee Why campsite) had a sexual interest in children … that’s why he set fire to the tent,” Mr Skidmore said.
The court heard Smith had chased the man from the tent city, yelling “stay out of Dee Why” and asking a passing witness: “Do you hate pedophiles?”
Smith also told police he had been tying to “evict” the man and had “started burning his place down” using a can of gas.
Magistrate Lisa Stapleton convicted Smith on all counts.
She said Smith had a pattern of violent behaviour towards police.
“I have before me repeat offences of violence towards police and individuals by Mr Smith,” Ms Stapleton said.
Smith was handed an aggregate jail sentence of 18 months, with a nine-month non-parole period of nine months.
The sentence was backdated to start on February 14 to account for time already spent in custody.
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