‘Under siege’: Torquay’s Gerard Henderson, 46, pleads guilty to stalking terrified mum
A victim of a serial Geelong predator has broken down in court after detailing the harrowing reign of terror inflicted upon her over a torturous three year period.
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A victim of a serial Geelong predator has broken down in court after detailing the harrowing reign of terror inflicted upon her over a torturous three year period.
Gerard Henderson, 46, pleaded guilty to more stalking offences in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday, with the court hearing how the “fast actions” of a woman were “saving her life” each time he is released from prison.
The court heard the Torquay painter and decorator has spent more than 10 of the last 13 years behind bars for “near identical offending” with a psychological report stating a “compulsive drive” driven by a concerning psychopathology.
His victim, a mother-of-three, delivered an emotional statement about the toll his relentless stalking had taken on her since 2022.
“I now know what terror and fear for your life feels like,” she said.
“I know if he had of located me, I believe it would be the end for me.”
The court heard she had lost her house and her “fun-loving connection with her children” as a result of his “sick” pursuit of her.
Her family felt “under siege” each time he was released from prison, with the court hearing he’d been jailed on three occasions for stalking her.
He also did an eight year stint behind bars for unrelated stalking and other offences against a separate woman in 2012, the court was told.
Fighting back tears, his most recent victim said she “forgot what it’s like to live a normal life” because of the “fear and terror” she lived under.
She said “no magistrate was hearing my cries for help” before pleading for the court to “protect myself and my children.”
In the most recent offending, Henderson was released from prison on March 31 and tried to contact her two days later.
He called the woman using a private number four times on April 2, twice on April 3, six times on April 4 and once each on April 5, 6 and 7.
He also contacted an associate on Facebook messenger on April 5 asking him to contact the victim under false pretences.
“I need you to call someone … circumstances you don’t know,” he wrote.
“Ask if she has … number and say it is for you and you know nothing about me.
“If she gives it I will sort them two tools.”
The court heard in additional messages to the associate he wrote “she never picks up. f***ing c***.”
He followed up on April 6 asking “hey dude just keep in mind she will call you at some stage today … she always rings back to people with the number on her phone”.
“Please make sure you don’t say my name one f***ing bit yeah. Hopefully working this s*** out,” the court heard.
On April 11 he asked “did you ever get a call back from that number?”
When asked by detectives if he was aware of a lifetime intervention order imposed on him in relation to the victim, he replied “Yep, sure am”, the court heard.
Asked if he had contacted her, Henderson replied “no comment”.
Henderson, who appeared via video link from jail, has been in custody for 97 days since his arrest.
His defence counsel told the court his client “accepts responsibility for what he has done.”
It is his fifth time in prison since 2012.
“Not once has he done a family violence specific program,” his counsel said.
A lengthy psychological report was read and discussed, with the court hearing he suffered from chronic untreated mental illness, a Dependent Personality Disorder and was “institutionalised.”
He was using methamphetamines at the time of the offending, a habit that started in Barwon Prison while serving an eight year stint, the court heard.
Police prosecution told the court Henderson “had not served enough time behind bars” and asked for a lengthy jail term with a non parole period.
Magistrate Simon Guthrie asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and tabled within six weeks, telling the court “you will appreciate what a difficult sentencing exercise this is.”
He adjourned the matter for sentencing on September 15.
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Originally published as ‘Under siege’: Torquay’s Gerard Henderson, 46, pleads guilty to stalking terrified mum
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