‘He’ll kill me’: Serial Geelong stalker arrested a week after being released from prison

One of Geelong’s worst stalkers allegedly took less than 24 hours to try and locate a victim after he was released from prison, with the terrified woman claiming she is lucky to be alive.

John Meehan, who was killed by the daughter of a victim in America, was the centre of the smash-hit podcast and Hollywood series Dirty John. Picture: California Department of Corrections

One of Geelong’s worst stalkers allegedly took less than 24 hours to try and locate a former victim after he was released from prison, with the terrified woman claiming she is lucky to be alive.

The recidivist predator, who the Geelong Advertiser has chosen not to name for legal reasons, has served more than 10 years behind bars for disturbing crimes against multiple women, and was free to walk the streets again earlier this year after serving time on his most recent offending.

He was arrested within a week on new stalking charges and breaching conditions of his release, with revelations he allegedly walked into the Geelong Magistrates Court in the days after leaving a jail cell and attempted to place an intervention order on his former partner.

A serial offender will face court next month on fresh stalking charges. He was released from prison earlier this year after serving another jail term for a separate stalking offence.

As the country deals with a domestic violence epidemic, this masthead has spoken to the alleged victim, who has called on the courts and Victorian government to do more to protect women like her.

Jane, not her real name, was forced to sell her home and now lives in a state-funded “safe house” for her own protection. She said she was convinced her ex-partner was trying to find her new address before he was apprehended by detectives.

“This is how women get murdered and it could have been me,” she said.

“I knew he would try to find me straight away and so did everyone else.

“He’ll kill me if he gets the chance.”

It was the man’s fourth stint in prison for stalking, threats and ignoring intervention orders.

A Geelong judge handed him an eight-and-a-half year sentence in 2015 for the shocking terror he put another victim (his then ex-wife) through, including threatening her with a shotgun and shooting at her sister’s house and a friend.

The bullets missed the woman and her family or friends by just centimetres in all three attacks.

He also destroyed her business and finances and killed her son’s pet.

The frightening menace is something Jane is all too familiar with.

She had been in a relationship with him for months before learning of his twisted past, likening him to “Dirty John” – the US conman and stalker, John Meehan, on whom a TV and podcast series was based.

Jane now lives in emergency accommodation, wears a smart-watch with a “panic switch” and must call her family violence support team every morning when she leaves for work and returns home.

She said the courts were not doing enough “to keep people like this locked up.”

“I could easily be a statistic,” she said.

“I’m always scared and watching over my back and we have cameras everywhere around the house.

“It’s just a nightmare the way I have been forced to live because of this person.

“The only time I’ll ever feel safe is if he’s in jail.”

The offender was again arrested and charged with stalking and contravening a family violence order on May 3.

His bail was opposed and he was remanded into custody to appear in court in June.

Originally published as ‘He’ll kill me’: Serial Geelong stalker arrested a week after being released from prison