Cairns carpenter jailed for terrifying 11-hour stalking campaign
He threatened to smash her house, and followed her in a car twice when she tried to flee from him, pulling up close to her, honking his horn and hurling threats.
A carpenter with an “appalling” criminal history of domestic violence spent an intense and frightening 11 hours stalking and threatening his former partner after a break-up, a Cairns court has been told.
Criston Elijaha Jack Anderson, 29, told police he was“just being a keyboard warrior” when they spoke to him in August 2024 about his behaviour towards his partner, after she had locked him out of their home and asked him to leave.
He pleaded guilty in Cairns District Court this week to aggravated stalking.
The court was told he made 322 calls within the space of around 10 hours, including 67 calls after he had been spoken to by the police.
In the early hours of the morning on August 11 in 2024, he sent the woman images of himself outside her house, pictures of him holding a metal bar, and screenshots of his Google search of her stepfather’s business.
He also threatened to smash her house, and followed her in a car twice when she tried to flee from him, pulling up close to her, honking his horn and hurling threats.
Sentencing judge Vicki Loury told Anderson he needed to deal with his “problem with women”, noting he had a prior conviction for choking and assaulting a different partner, for which he was jailed.
“It would have been terrifying for (your former partner) to be pursued in a car in the middle of the night by you and sending her messages.
“You followed her closely behind, beeping at her. She was scared and crying and continued to follow.”
Judge Loury noted Anderson had spent 16 months waiting in prison to be sentenced, which is more actual jail time than he would have been likely to receive had he been sentenced earlier.
She said his sentence would be between 18 months and two years, which would have meant release on parole after six to eight months with a guilty plea.
She sentenced him to time served of 462 days.
Defence barrister Aaron Dunkerton said Anderson was a qualified carpenter with a job waiting for him when he gets out and a home with family.
“(Anderson) instructs his conduct was motivated by anger, and he has been previously diagnosed with ‘adjustment disorder’,” Mr Dunkerton said.
He told the court Anderson was off his medication at the time of the crime, but had resumed taking his mood stabilisers.
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Originally published as Cairns carpenter jailed for terrifying 11-hour stalking campaign
