Leo Thomas Hoffs: Currumbin Waters man takes sledgehammer to traffic controllers ute

An ex-Currumbin business owner has attacked a traffic controller ute with a sledgehammer after dishing out a vile verbal spray near his home. Read what was behind it

Former Currumbin Boat Shed owner Leo Thomas Hoffs pleaded guilty to commit public nuisance, common assault and willful damage when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday. Picture: Jerad Williams

An ex-Currumbin business owner who verbally abused traffic controllers and attacked their ute with a sledgehammer was frustrated by a work light shining into his house, a court heard.

Leo Thomas Hoffs, 59, pleaded guilty to commit public nuisance, common assault and wilful damage when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Road works across the road from Hoff’s Currumbin Waters home had a mobile lighting unit illuminating the area for traffic control.

The court heard Hoffs who used to own Currumbin Boat Shed attended the roadworks location while intoxicated and holding a sledgehammer at 7.30pm on January 8, 2025.

He began yelling abuse at the traffic controllers due to the light shining into his home and threatened to smash it with his sledgehammer.

The court heard Hoffs racially abused one traffic controller calling him a “black Maori f***wit” and called another controller a “slut”.

Former Currumbin Boat Shed owner Leo Thomas Hoffs pleaded guilty to commit public nuisance, common assault and wilful damage when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday. Picture: Jerad Williams

As a result, a traffic controller started to record Hoffs on his phone and called police but Hoff also racially abused him and knocked the phone out of his hand.

The court heard Hoffs swung the sledgehammer at a ute owned by the traffic control company, and hit the rear corner of the tailgate.

Police later attended and while speaking with witnesses, they could hear Hoffs still yelling abuse.

Hoffs’ defence solicitor Dayne Baskerville-Hodge said told the court since his client’s daughter died, Hoffs had been a completely different person and has had some difficult times in the last few years.

His daughter Tallulah “Loo” Hoffs died aged 16 just over three years ago, with the Bulletin at the time reporting on a moving paddle out ceremony at Currumbin for the “down to earth” local.

The court this week heard Hoffs is divorced, lost his Currumbin business, lost property and was living off of his savings.

Former Currumbin Boat Shed owner Leo Hoff in happier times. Picture: Campbell Gellie

Mr Baskerville-Hodge said Hoffs had spent most of his life as an upstanding citizen, and at the time of the offence he was very drunk and frustrated by the lights shining into his room.

He said his client was remorseful for his behaviour, was seeing a person to go through spiritual healing and had ceased drug and alcohol use.

Acting Magistrate Sarah Thompson said Hoffs didn’t have anything of a like nature in his criminal history and there was a very low risk of him being before a criminal court again.

She said a letter Hoffs had written to the court demonstrated remorse and insight.

He was convicted and fined $700. No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Leo Thomas Hoffs: Currumbin Waters man takes sledgehammer to traffic controllers ute