DV offender’s daring sunroof move at Gladstone traffic lights

With his would-be victim in the car right behind him at traffic lights, a Central Queensland domestic violence offender pulled off a daring move through his sunroof.

A domestic violence offender who pulled off a daring move at traffic lights, has been sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court. Generic image.

A Central Queensland man who tried to win back the heart of his domestic violence victim at traffic lights, has been sentenced in court.

The 33-year-old man pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court this week to two counts of contravening a domestic violence order.

The court heard the order contained no contact conditions in relation to the female aggrieved, including communication via telephone, text message, email, internet and social messaging services.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said on April 17, the man gave a bag to a mutual friend with a request for it to be taken to the aggrieved.

Sgt Hoskins said the friend gave the bag to the aggrieved who didn’t look inside it.

Then on May 1, the aggrieved received a message from her sister - the sister informed she had looked in the bag and it contained two pendants.

“The aggrieved said she recognised both items which were from when she and the (man) were together,” Sgt Hoskins said.

Gladstone Courthouse.

Then about 3pm on May 21, the woman was driving on the Dawson Highway when she stopped at a set of lights.

Sgt Hoskins said while at the lights, the woman saw that the car in front of her was the man’s - he was driving and the sole occupant.

“He looked in the rearview mirror, saw her behind him - he reached across to his passenger seat, took a large sign and held it up through the sunroof.”

The court heard the sign said “I (love heart symbol) you.”

Sgt Hoskins said both cars then turned onto the same street and the man held up a second sign through the sunroof which said “I miss you.”

The court heard the man had no criminal history.

Solicitor Jun Pepito said the man and the aggrieved woman had previously been in a long relationship.

Prior to imposing penalty, Magistrate Mary Buchanan said: “You (the man) must have been waiting for when you ran into her (aggrieved) in traffic I suppose, for that (signs incident) to happen.”

Ms Buchanan fined the man $400 and no conviction was recorded.