Pay dispute lands Toowoomba builder Troy Bloomfield in court after abusive tirade at boss

A Queensland builder who sent abusive and threatening messages after his pay didn’t come through on time has fronted court for the tirade, and a slew of baffling driving offences.

Darling Downs builder Troy Bloomfield fronts Toowoomba court for abusing a contractor over a pay dispute, and multiple driving offences.

A Toowoomba builder who was pulled over while leaving his worksite for driving unlicensed, three times in one month, fronted court for abusing his employer during a pay dispute.

The 31-year-old tradesman, Troy Warren Bloomfield, fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 13, and pleaded guilty to sending abusive and threatening text messages, speeding, and repeatedly driving unlicensed.

The court was told the offences occurred in late December 2023, and spilled into January 2024, when Bloomfield was working on a housing project at Palmview, on the Sunshine Coast.

Darling Downs builder Troy Bloomfield fronts Toowoomba court for abusing a contractor over a pay dispute, and multiple driving offences.

Police prosecutor Nicholas Pratt said despite Bloomfield being pulled over at Palmview on December 21, for driving on a court-disqualified licence, he was again pulled twice more, including on New Year’s Eve.

Mr Pratt said before he was pulled over at 9.22pm on December 31, he was clocked speeding 114km/h in an 80km/h zone.

He told officers each time he was stopped that he was on his way home from the job site.

Days later on January 3, Mr Pratt said Bloomfield, who was hired by a labour hire company, sent abusive messages and voicemails to Sunshine Coast builder Ashley Tranent.

“What sort of gutless c--t are you Ash? Pay your f--king bill you scum c--t,” a message read.

“Wtf do you and your boys do all day? You were on the f--king phone most of the day you lazy c--t.

“Your bloke was cutting the f--king doors and you, you wanker, we were three (doors) short that you could have replaced in 10 minutes, (but) you’re too much of a lazy c--t to even get off that scaff and finish your own job.

“If you don’t pay your bill c--t I will rip every board off that job I put up and I will come find you GJ (Gardner) job you pathetic c--t.”

Darling Downs builder Troy Bloomfield fronts Toowoomba court for abusing a contractor over a pay dispute, and multiple driving offences.

Solicitor Brad Skuse said Bloomfield sent the messages after payment for his services was not “forthcoming,” and he accepted he acted “in an inappropriate manner”.

“There were some time limits and penalties attached to that work, (and) through that Christmas period where people in his industry are generally shut down,” Mr Skuse said.

“He was working for himself and ... placed his work priorities against that of the order of the court.”

Mr Skuse said Bloomfield had since moved to Texas on the Southern Downs, where he bought a house, and he was still working as a builder and had other tradesmen to help him travel to and from work.

The court was told Bloomfield had a six-page criminal history, and his traffic history included five drug driving charges, speeding offences, disqualification periods, and one prior for driving unlicensed.

Bloomfield was sentenced to a four month jail term, suspended for 12 months, fined $1161, placed on an $800 good behaviour order, and had his licence disqualified for six years.