He Set a Man on Fire — Then Told Police, 'I Had to Do It'

It started with a tree-trimming job. It ended with a man soaked in gasoline and set on fire in his neighbor's backyard — while his own son looked on in horror. Two years later, the man responsible has finally pleaded guilty to murder, and the court is deciding whether he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

A Burning Grudge

On March 14, 2023, 66-year-old Colin Bainbridge was helping friends cut trees in the rural town of Wheatsheaf, Australia. His son Joshua was with him. The morning was quiet — until their neighbor, Stuart Lee, 65, stormed into the yard yelling for them to leave. According to court testimony, Bainbridge dismissed the threat. "Don't worry about him," he told his son, as reported by news.au.com. "He's just run off."

But Lee didn't just run off. He made six calls to police, demanding action. During one, he allegedly warned, "If you're not coming, I'm going to go and murder my neighbors," as reported by news.au.com.

Gasoline, a Bucket, and a Lighter

After failing to get police on the line, Lee reportedly returned to his shed, filled a bucket with gasoline, grabbed a lighter, and climbed over the fence. Without warning, he dumped the fuel on Bainbridge and set him on fire. Joshua raced to douse the flames with a hose.

Bainbridge was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with burns over more than 70% of his body. Before he died that night, he said, "I can't believe this bastard has done me in," news.au.com reported.

Not Fear — Just Anger

Lee was arrested later that day outside his home, holding a cup of coffee. He told officers, "I threw petrol over the people and I lit him in flames," according to news.au.com. Though his defense argued Lee believed Bainbridge was threatening him with a chainsaw, the judge wasn't buying it.

"His conduct ... was nothing at all to do with fear - it was everything to do with anger," said Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney, as reported by 9 News. He claimed that Lee's actions were deliberate, pointing to the premeditated way he prepared the attack and scaled the fence.

In October 2020, Lee allegedly threatened to kill a different neighbor by lighting him on fire. Lee has a documented history of mental health issues, including a longstanding personality disorder characterized by paranoia and detachment, and his defense team argued those issues distorted his perception. Prosecutors countered that Lee fabricated claims of being threatened to justify the crime.

On April 23, 2025, Lee pleaded guilty. A sentencing decision is expected soon, with the judge confirming that a life sentence remains "live issue" under consideration, according to news.au.com.

References: Man Accused of Dousing Stranger in Gasoline and Setting Him on Fire After Allegedly Saying He Was Going to 'Murder My Neighbors' | Judge rejects claims killer was under threat before he set man alight | Stuart Lee: Paranoid man's call to police minutes before he murdered neighbour Colin Bainbridge