Today, Leaf appeared in the Hamilton District Court via audio-visual link from the Grace Foundation.
At the hearing, he pleaded guilty to a charge of arson, for which he was convicted by Judge Philip Crayton.
He was further remanded to the foundation on electronically monitored bail until his sentencing in August.
According to the summary of facts, the day of the December 8 fire last year began all right.
Leaf was drinking at home with his younger brother.
However, at some point, the pair argued, and his brother left.
Some time after 10.30pm, Leaf asked his father to take him to buy drugs, but he refused.
Leaf got angry and abusive, took off his clothes and began walking around the house naked, exposing his backside to his father.
He then went to the kitchen and came back holding a knife.
After his father left, Leaf smashed windows and glass doors at the property, threw around objects, and could be heard yelling his father’s name and threatening to kill him.
Leaf went outside to look for him and his brother and then began throwing rocks at the house, while shouting for them to fight him.
He went back inside and set fire to a jersey on a couch in the lounge.
When the jersey failed to catch fire properly, he used more matches to set it alight.
Leaf watched on as the fire took hold, then grabbed three dogs from the house and went outside, where he watched the house burn.
When later spoken to by police, Leaf said he could not recall what happened after his brother had left, but admitted lighting the fire to get their attention.
The house, understood to be worth about $160,000, was destroyed.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.