Beau Stewart Dean pleads guilty to throwing petrol on man after break up

A Sunshine Coast court was told how a Bundaberg man threw petrol at his ex-girlfriend’s dad and delivered a chilling warning.

Beau Stewart Dean faced Maroochydore District Court in late June. Picture: Patrick Woods

A Sunshine Coast man is back in the community after he threw petrol on his former partner’s dad following their breakup and told him he wanted to light him up “like a Christmas tree”.

Beau Stewart Dean was released from custody after he spent a staggering 353 days behind bars for the fevered incident on June 10 last year where he wanted to burn the victim alive.

“I should’ve lit him up,” Dean told police following his arrest, according to sentencing remarks published of the 35-year-old’s sentence in the Maroochydore District Court.

Judge Glen Cash retold the circumstances after Dean’s pleas of guilty to unlawfully dealing with a noxious substance, wilful damage and breaching bail.

The District Court documents state the saga began when Dean had his relationship end with the victim’s daughter.

He persisted in wanting to speak to the woman about the end of their relationship, which is why he went to the victim’s unit to speak to her.

“You were upset about the end of the relationship. You were angry,” Judge Cash said.

Dean went back the following day armed with a kitchen knife and threatened the victim, the documents state.

Police needed to be called due to his aggressive behaviour, and he was arrested for possessing a knife in a public place and public nuisance.

He was fined in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 26 last year.

Despite being charged and released on bail, Dean breached his bail 12 hours later and returned to the victim’s home on the morning of June 10.

Judge Cash said when the 35-year-old returned he confronted the victim outside his unit and said, “I’m going to light you up like a Christmas tree”.

The court was told Dean splashed fuel on the victim.

He threw petrol from a metal tin towards the victim which splashed on the concrete towards the man’s feet. Dean also threw the tin at the man.

Obviously alarmed, the victim ran inside his home and called police which is when Dean smashed a lounge room window and continued to threaten the man.

Police eventually arrived and spoke to Dean who said, “I should’ve lit him up”.

“Unsurprisingly, the complainant was fearful as a result of your conduct towards him, in particular fearful of being burnt,” Judge Cash said.

There was no dispute in court that Dean, who had a criminal history of failing to appear and weapons offences, had spent enough time in custody, with both parties agreeing to a parole release date.

Judge Cash also accepted Dean was remorseful for his crimes with the year he spent behind bars being a “better lesson” for the consequences of his behaviour.

The court was told upon his release Dean planned to live with his family at Childers to assist them in their later years.

Dean was jailed for 353 days, but due to time served, was released from custody on May 29.

Originally published as Beau Stewart Dean pleads guilty to throwing petrol on man after break up