Kevin Robert Moore in court for harassing journalist
A convicted armed home invader left threatening voicemail messages on a journalist’s phone for publishing an article about his meth trafficking girlfriend. LISTEN TO THE MESSAGES:
Police & Courts
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A convicted armed home invader subjected a journalist to a sustained campaign of abuse and harassment for publishing an article about his pregnant girlfriend’s conviction for meth trafficking.
Kevin Robert Moore pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday to using a carriage service to menace or harass.
Police prosecutor senior constable Rob Booth told the court Moore had taken issue with an article published in the Fraser Coast Chronicle reporting the conviction of his girlfriend, Dorinda Louise Allsworth, for meth trafficking by Maryborough Supreme Court on November 29, 2022.
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The court heard Moore had approached the journalist after Allsworth’s court appearance to ask if she would be publishing an article about the hearing.
When the journalist confirmed an article would be published, Moore asked her not to report the fact that Allsworth was pregnant at the time of the court hearing.
The journalist gave Moore her phone number and the contact details of her editor and suggested he direct any concerns about the article to the editor.
The court heard Moore sent the editor an email later that day asking for Allsworth’s pregnancy not to be reported in the article.
The following day an article was published, reporting Allsworth’s conviction, including the fact that she was 16 weeks pregnant as mentioned by the Crown prosecutor and judge during the hearing.
The court heard Moore called the journalist’s phone that evening and left an abusive voicemail message saying “you are actual pond scum, you’re worse than pond scum you’re like sewer scum you f------ grub”.
Around 20 minutes later he again called the phone from a different number and left another voicemail message telling the journalist he was “curious how healthy your family is, is your Mum and Dad still alive (sic)”, and said he was “going to be working alongside” her because he was “going to become a journalist now”.
The court heard Moore also posted abusive comments directed at the journalist on the Fraser Coast Chronicle Facebook page over a period of two days from November 29-30.
Senior constable Booth told the court Moore was subject to a suspended sentence at the time of the offending.
In 2020, Moore was convicted by Maryborough District Court of armed robbery with personal violence for a home invasion where he threatened to shoot the occupants of a Maryborough home, for which he was served one year in prison followed by a five-year suspended sentence.
His defence lawyer, Travis George, told the court that on the day of the article’s publication his client had travelled with Allsworth to Brisbane for a medical appointment related to her high-risk pregnancy, at which the couple was advised not to continue with the pregnancy and a medical abortion was arranged for the following week.
The court heard Moore and Allsworth read the article after leaving the appointment in a “highly traumatic, highly emotional circumstance”, and were upset at the reference to Allsworth’s pregnancy in the article.
Mr George said the article implied that Allsworth had trafficked drugs while pregnant and that her pregnancy was a factor in being sentenced to immediate release on parole, which he said was “factually not true” and constituted inaccurate reporting.
Mr George told the court that having read the article Moore “lost his cool” and left the voice messages on the journalist’s phone “in the heat of the moment”.
While Mr George said some of the Facebook comments posted by Moore over the two-day period were “borderline perhaps into harassment”, he stressed that Moore ceased posting the comments when the medical procedure was completed.
Magistrate John Milburn refuted Mr George’s claim that Allsworth’s pregnancy had been inaccurately reported, saying the article gave a clear account of the judge’s sentencing and the judge had explicitly referred to her pregnancy in this context.
“I am of the view that it will appear that what has been reported is accurate,” Mr Milburn said.
In sentencing, Mr Milburn gave “paramount consideration” to the protection of the community, noting that Moore had directed his comments to “journalists who are trying to do their job”.
“I do regard this offending as serious … you’ve caused harm by your text messages,” he said.
“I accept that that was within the context of an emotional outburst and an emotional circumstance and very deeply, heartfelt, emotional issues around the subject matter. But nevertheless, you are to blame for the offence.”
Moore was fined $1100 and a conviction was recorded.
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The matter of Moore’s offending while on a suspended sentence was referred to Maryborough District Court for a recommittal hearing at a later date.
The journalist spoke after the hearing of the impact of Moore’s actions on herself and her family.
“It’s really important for journalists to be able to do their jobs without being intimidated,” she said.
“At the time it was very stressful and upsetting.
“It impacted on my family, including my 90-year-old grandmother.
“I’m glad to see this kind of harassment is taken seriously by the police and the judicial system.”
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