Meth user’s ‘spectacular and catastrophic’ threat to torch woman’s home

A long-term drug user terrorised a woman by threatening to torch her house, attacking it later with an axe and forcing his way in with a co-offender armed with machetes.

“I wonder how big the fire will be from your house?”

These were the chilling words drug user Micheal Shane Kemp, 26, told a Depot Hill resident after he walked around her house spraying a yellow liquid on the concrete floor under her house, Crown prosecutor Kathryn Walker told Rockhampton District Court on October 31.

The occupier saw Kemp, who has taken methamphetamines since he was 13, arrive at her house at 10am on October 28, 2023, and, from the back door, told him to leave.

Ms Walker told the court the resident continued to tell the defendant to leave and then he pointed a jet lighter at her.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Kemp told the woman he was going to burn her house down in retribution for ‘informing on him to the police’.

Ms Walker said the victim called police and Kemp made a comment that she made the mistake of calling the police, and he would be back to “light it up”.

Kemp returned to the residence on November 1 about 2pm armed with an axe, calling out for ‘Shane’.

Meth user Micheal Shane Kemp, 26.

Ms Walker said there was no one living at that address by that name.

Kemp refused to leave and used the axe to damage the back door, trying to gain entry.

“He used the axe... he was trying to make a hole in the wall next to the back door,” Ms Walker said.

The victim yelled she was calling the police and Kemp left.

Kemp and an associate armed with a machete then returned to the address eight days later, looking for another male.

Ms Walker said Kemp and the associate then went back to the Depot Hill residence and smashed their way in via the front door, waking up the occupants: “I told you I was coming. Tonight is the night. Here I am, motherf---ers.”

Kemp and an associate also stole a Subaru car from a Berserker residence on November 13 and used it until the following evening.

Kemp broke into Marmor residence in late October and a stole CCTV digital recorder and many keys to vehicles and buildings including a bobcat, tractor and Landcruiser.

Police arrested Kemp who has an eight-page criminal record and four-page traffic record, on November 16.

Defence barrister Andrew Bale said his client hopes to go back to Moranbah and live with his sister.

Mr Bale said Kemp’s main focus when released from prison would be drug rehabilitation and he had already been in contact with Lives Lived Well about a bed at their North Rockhampton facility.

“That’s a positive step because from his history, we can discern that there are periods where he is a contributing member, but his relapses are so spectacular and catastrophic that he needs supervision,” he said.

During a previous sentence, Kemp’s legal representatives told the court both of Kemp’s parents were drug addicts and alcoholics and started smoking marijuana when he was 11 before moving on to drinking alcohol and using methamphetamines by age 13.

Kemp was incarcerated when his mother died in 2021.

Kemp pleaded guilty to one count each of armed robbery in company with violence, unlawful use of motor vehicle at night, burglary by break at night with violence while armed, enter dwelling and commit, going armed to cause fear and trespass.

He was sentenced to 4.5 years prison to start after the sentence handed down in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court in June 2023 ends, with 195 days presentence custody declared as time already served and parole eligibility set on May 15, 2025.

Kemp was also disqualified from driving for two years.

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