Jealous lover sets fire to mattress
A MAN who set fire to a mattress after finding his lover in the arms of a housemate appeared in the Rockhampton District Court yesterday.
Stephen Le Blanc awoke on December 2010 in a drunken stupor after consuming 2L of wine and falling asleep at the kitchen table.
Crown prosecutor Peter O'Connor said the 30-year-old began searching the house for his partner of six years and stumbled upon her and their housemate having sex.
Le Blanc became outraged and doused the mattress they were on with petrol before lighting it on fire.
He pleaded guilty to endangering particular property by fire.
He and his partner have reunited since the incident and she sat in the public gallery yesterday to support Le Blanc.
Le Blanc told police after the incident that he had no intention of setting the house on fire and showed remorse for his actions.
But Mr O'Connor said there was a likely possibility of that occurring, endangering Le Blanc, his partner, the other man and two other people who were in the house at the time.
The barrister representing Le Blanc, Tom Polley, said his client lit the fire because he did not want his partner to sleep on that mattress again.
Mr Polley said Le Blanc had a long-standing problem with alcohol and had been referred for help for alcohol abuse.
He said Le Blanc had a troubled childhood, spending time in foster care.
Judge Grant Britton sentenced Le Blanc to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years because of time spent in pre-sentence custody.
