Matthew John Barber stalked women throughout Millicent before attacking a worker, court rules
A Millicent predator was on the prowl for days before attacking a woman in public toilets in the early hours of the morning, a court has found.
Police & Courts
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A predator “fixated on sexual violence” was on the prowl looking for a victim in a small country town for days before he finally assaulted a woman in a public toilets, a court has ruled.
Matthew John Barber, 38, pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault, aggravated threatening to cause harm and indecent behaviour in a public place over an incident on the morning of March 18, 2020 in Millicent, a town in the state’s South East.
On that day Barber attacked a woman who was arriving to open a government building, indecently assaulting her before she fended him off with a stick.
In the days leading up to the attack there were numerous calls to the Millicent Police Station about Barber following women and, in one case, a young girl around the town.
In a judgment handed down last month but only published online last week, Supreme Court Justice Sandi McDonald said that Barber had a “sinister motive” as he lurked around Millicent.
On March 14, 2020 Barber followed a woman exercising for 30 minutes. The woman was so alarmed she took photos of him with her phone.
Later that morning Barber followed another woman to her home, walking close behind for a kilometre before standing in her driveway watching her walk into the house.
At 10.33am the same day Barber followed another woman who was so visibly uncomfortable that a passing motorist stopped to offer her a lift.
Four days later Barber again followed the same woman.
On March 15, 2022, Barber was seen following behind a female child. The witness said the child appeared scared and Barber only moved away from her when he saw the witness watching them
Barber had moved to Millicent in 2019 and quickly became known as a troublemaker at the local supermarkets.
He was reported by a female police officer for disorderly behaviour and begun calling and threatening sexual violence to the officer.
After being arrested for the indecent assault police reviewed Barber’s phone and found 500 internet searches over a period of two months which showing an interest in forced sex and sex in public toilets.
The Director of Public Prosecutions applied to have Barber placed on a continuing detention order as an uncontrollable offender.
Reports from psychiatrists concluded that Barber was unwilling to control his sexual urges and posed a danger to the community.
Justice McDonald jailed Barber for eight years and six months with a non-parole period of seven years and six months.
However, she dismissed the continuing determination application as “premature” when Barber will be spending at least another four years behind bars.
“If (Barber’s) release was imminent I would have no hesitancy in making the order today,” she said.
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