Cairns soccer coach, Joseph David Leedham, 47, charged with stalking, arson, court hears

A Cairns soccer coach lit fires around his ex-girlfriend’s home, sent sex workers to her house and pretended to be a police officer during “profoundly manipulative” behaviour after a break-up, a court has heard.

Joseph David Leedham, 47, set fires at his ex girlfriend’s Stratford property so he could “position himself as her sympathiser”, later resorting to threats, impersonating police officers and sending strippers to her home, a court has been told at his sentencing on stalking and arson charges. Picture: Facebook

A Cairns soccer coach lit three fires around his ex-girlfriend’s home, sent sex workers to her house and pretended to be a police officer with an arrest warrant during “bizarre” and “profoundly manipulative” behaviour after a break-up, a court has heard.

The court was told after the fires, one of which destroyed a large shed and everything in it, he would swoop in with sympathy and kind words, once reminding her to turn off the gas.

Joseph David Leedham, 47, pleaded guilty via videolink from Brisbane to six charges including arson, stalking with violence, and two counts of endangering property with fire, directed towards a woman with whom he had a relationship for several months.

Leedham, 47, stalked the woman over seven months between February 2022 and September 2022.

He was not deterred by arrest or a stint in the watch-house, ultimately stopping only when his bail was refused and he was remanded in custody, the court was told.

Joseph David Leedham, 47, pleaded guilty via video link from Brisbane to six charges including arson, stalking with violence, and two counts of endangering property with fire, directed towards a woman with whom he had a relationship for several months.

The first fire he lit in February 2022 destroyed a large shed in the woman’s Stratford backyard, leaving it “in ashes”, spreading to the neighbour’s fence and consuming thousands of dollars worth of fishing equipment, outboard motors and gear associated with a commercial fishing business, the court was told.

He lit the second fire a few months later in April, setting two chairs on the balcony alight, which neighbours extinguished with a hose.

About a month later, in May, he bundled together several aerosol cans and set them on fire near a landcruiser, a fire the woman put out herself after smelling the smoke.

Judge Tracy Fantin sentenced him to five-and-a-half years prison, describing his crimes as “extremely sophisticated and more calculated than the typical instance of stalking”.

“It was profoundly manipulative behaviour as you lit fires to traumatise her and position yourself as her sympathiser,” Judge Fantin said.

Queensland Fire and Rescue had to extinguish the biggest fire lit by Leedham in February 2022, which reduced a large shed “to ashes” and destroyed everything in it.

Judge Fantin said Leedham “bizarrely” sent strippers to the woman’s house twice, and called her place of business claiming to be a police officer with a warrant for her arrest.

“This was bizarre behaviour and in my view, intended to degrade, humiliate and embarrass the woman,” Judge Fantin said.

He also texted her about ending his life, and pretended to be his own son, saying that he had killed himself and it was her fault, the court was told.

Judge Fantin said such messages of suicide and self-harm were now known to be a form of “emotional manipulation and abuse”.

Leedham was arrested for the fire-related offences in May 2022 when investigating police officer found he had visited a medical centre after each fire for treatment for burns injuries; they also matched phone, taxi and Uber records to show he had been at her house at the time of each fire.

The stalking continued after his arrest, the court was told, but turned threatening and aggressive.

Leedham’s messages became increasingly aggressive and threatening: he told the woman to be “prepared for more”, said the “boat in the harbour would be next”, as well as telling her he “knew bikies” and that she should “shut her mouth”.

The court was told Leedham messaged the woman to be “prepared for more”, said the “boat in the harbour would be next”, as well as telling her he “knew bikies” and that she should “shut her mouth”.

Defence Barrister Thomas Feeney said Leedham was struggling with his mental health and drinking heavily at the time of the offences, but had since taken steps to rehabilitate and curb his drinking.

He was now working again in the construction industry in the south-east corner of Queensland, Mr Feeney told the court.

Mr Feeney said Leedham was sorry and embarrassed for what he had done and tendered a letter of apology, penned by his client, to the court.

Judge Tracy Fantin said she accepted Leedham was remorseful and trying to make a change but said the “abhorrent domestic violence” must be condemned with a sentence of five-and-a-half years imprisonment.

Judge Fantin said she accepted he was remorseful but the “various inventive ways you found to offend against this woman” was “abhorrent domestic violence”, and must be condemned.

“You demonstrated a willingness to use extreme measures – like fire – as well as engaging in repeated persistent conduct in a variety of different ways, all of which caused her detriment and fear.”

Leedham, who was granted Supreme Court bail after spending 14 months in custody on remand, was taken back into custody after his sentence, and will be eligible for parole in January 2026.

Originally published as Cairns soccer coach, Joseph David Leedham, 47, charged with stalking, arson, court hears