Man Accused of Dousing Stranger in Gasoline and Setting Him on Fire After Allegedly Saying He Was Going to 'Murder My Neighbors'

An Australian man has pleaded guilty to murder two years after he was accused of pouring gasoline on a person at a neighboring property and fatally setting them on fire.

On Wednesday, April 23, Stuart Lee submitted a guilty plea to the Supreme Court of Victoria for the 2023 murder of Colin Bainbridge, according to Australia’s news.com.au and the Australian Associated Press.

Crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC said in court this week that before the alleged attack, Bainbridge, 66, was helping friends at a neighboring property in Wheatsheaf by clearing trees on the same street where Lee, 65, and his wife, Anita, lived, the news.com.au reported.

Per the outlet, Bainbridge started the project with his son, Joshua, on March 13, 2023 and returned to finish the following day.

The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!

On the morning of March 14, both Colin and his son were attempting to complete the job when Lee appeared less than 15 minutes later and told the victim to “get the f— out of here or f— off back to Melbourne,” Joshua claimed, per the outlet.

“I just told him to f— off,” Colin responded, according to Joshua, who also recalled that his father said, “Don’t worry about him, he’s just run off.”

Per news.com.au, Lee then called police six times before the attack. During one police call, the outlet reported, Lee allegedly told authorities that he needed “police here now,” adding: “If you’re not coming, I’m going to go and murder my neighbors.”

The APP reported that Lee then allegedly poured gasoline from a can into a bucket in his shed and grabbed a lighter from his home before later climbing over a fence to set Colin on fire. Joshua tried to douse the flames with a hose.

According to news.com.au, Colin died later that night after suffering burns to 70% of his body, while the APP reported that 81% of his body was covered in burns.

He told his son, “I can’t believe this bastard has done me in,” as Lee fled the property, according to news.com.au. Lee later claimed he was “just defending himself” and was arrested while holding a cup of coffee in front of his home.

“I’ve had trouble with my neighbors, I threw petrol over the people and I lit him in flames, fire,” Lee said, per news.com.au.

According to the outlet, Forensic psychiatrist Andrew Carroll told the court that Lee has a personality disorder involving detachment and paranoia, with him showing “increasing preoccupation” over conflicts with neighbors.

As reported by the outlet, Lee previously called the police in October 2020 and threatened to kill a different neighbor by lighting them on fire.

During the hearing, which continued on Thursday, the psychiatrist said Lee still felt “justified” in his actions. “He continues to maintain he doesn’t exactly feel guilty, he regrets the death of the victim but he maintains a sense that he did what he had to do,” Carroll said, per news.com.au.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.    

Julia Munster, an attorney for Lee, said her client’s mental health concerns should be considered in his sentencing — as prosecutors are not seeking a life sentence, per the outlet.

According to the APP, she said Lee believed the victim was threatening him with a chainsaw, calling it “irrational” and “explained in the prism of his personality disorder.”

Bourke, however, argued that it was “not a situation where he is in uncontrolled anger” and also cited his ability to climb a fence with gasoline, according to news.com.au.

According to the outlet, Justice Andrew Tinney, who will later sentence Lee, said that seeking a life sentence was a “live issue” he would consider. “His conduct … was nothing at all to do with fear — it was everything to do with anger,” the judge said, per the APP. “I struggle to accept, even subjectively, there was a threat.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Lee’s attorney for comment.