Nicholas Campbell sentenced for stalking a woman he met on an online dating site

A man inundated his ex with abusive messages via multiple platforms including seven Instagram accounts and drove by her home despite a police warning.

A stalker who flooded a woman he had met on an online dating site with messages didn’t stop even after he was warned by police.

Nicholas Andrew Campbell, 38, told the court he realised his obsessive behaviour, which left a woman feeling constantly stressed, was wrong.

A police prosecutor told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday Campbell and the victim had met in July, 2020 through an online dating website.

The victim broke up with Campbell in September, 2020.

“After advising the defendant she no longer wished to date him, the victim began to receive non-stop text messages from the defendant,” the police prosecutor said.

“The text messages were abusive and insulting and caused the victim to become apprehensive.”

The court heard Campbell contacted the victim by phone calls and messages from multiple social media platforms, including up to seven Instagram accounts, between October and December.

“The victim received up to 10 messages a day from the defendant,” the police prosecutor said.

The victim told Campbell she did not want any contact from him.

“However, he continued to message her, drive past her house and also contact the victim’s sister,” the police prosecutor said.

“The defendant messaged the victim asking about cars that had been parked in front of the victim’s house.”

The court heard the victim suffered constant stress and sleep loss as a result of Campbell’s behaviour.

Campbell was issued with a stalking caution on December 13.

However, he continued to message the victim a further 47 times on the online dating site Plenty of Fish between December 16 and 19 at Glengowrie.

Nicholas Campbell sentenced for stalking a woman he met on an online dating site. Picture: File

Campbell, of Mount Barker, pleaded guilty in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday to stalking.

Self represented, Campbell told the court he was found unconscious at work with heat stroke in January, 2020.

“Since then I’ve had a lot of memory problems, I fell into a deep depression last year,” he said.

“What I did wasn’t right, it will never happen again.”

Campbell said the victim didn’t deserve what he did and he only wished there was a way he could apologise to her.

Magistrate David McLeod said the offence was serious but said it was good Campbell had sought help.

”You’ve got insight into your offending and you’re doing something about it,” he said.

Mr McLeod sentenced Campbell to a 12 month good behaviour bond for $500.

No conviction was recorded.