Justin Lee Brunker jailed after sentenced in Townsville District Court for ‘vigilante’ arson

A parolee lit a car on fire that almost caused a shocking explosion, and led to a dog being trapped suffering from smoke inhalation.

Justin Lee Brunker jailed after sentenced in Townsville District Court for ‘vigilante’ arson Picture: istock

A man while on parole committed a string of “vigilante” offences which included him lighting a car on fire that sat underneath a house causing a near-explosion that also saw a dog suffer from smoke inhalation.

Justin Lee Brunker was sentenced in Townsville District Court as published in court documents before Judge Brad Farr SC who described the then 41-year-old’s criminal history as “disgraceful”.

His Honour said Brunker entered the home of two people, put a kitchen knife through a wall and took a sledgehammer to a quad bike and damaged a windscreen.

“There was a Toyota LandCruiser parked underneath the house that, in fact, was not the property of either of the occupants,” Judge Farr said.

“This was the person’s very first car. Obviously he kept it all of that time. It was a 1990 model, and you set it alight. You destroyed the car, as far as I can tell, from looking at the photographs; it was underneath the house.

“It is through sheer good fortune that the house was not further damaged by this behaviour.”

Judge Farr said the motivation behind that offences weren’t clear however it had been suggested to him that the two people who lived in the house gave drugs to someone known to Brunker in what was referred to as a ‘hot shot’ (to intentionally overdose).

“You made no attempt to make a complaint to go through the normal channels if one had suspicions of that nature, to commence an investigation, and you acted in a vigilante way,” His Honour said.

On that same day Brunker punched a man in the face after following him home from work causing his nose to bleed and threatened the man with his dog, the court documents said.

“After he managed to get inside and get away from you, you then smashed a glass window beside the door,” Judge Farr said.

“Police found you on the veranda of that house.

There was a dog, I understand on the veranda that could not get off and had to be – was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. There was a risk of an explosion given that there was a jerry can next to the car that was set alight.”

When sentencing the man, Judge Farr considered that he had been using drugs since an early age and suffered an “unfortunate” upbringing.

Brunker pleaded guilty to arson, assault occasioning bodily harm, burglary and stealing and wilful damage.

He was sentenced to five years jail.

The 266 days he spent in pre-sentence custody was declared as time already served and given a parole eligibility date of January 16, 2026.

Originally published as Justin Lee Brunker jailed after sentenced in Townsville District Court for ‘vigilante’ arson