Gladstone DV offender caught following woman, armed with knife

A witness saw a man armed with a knife follow a woman along a Central Queensland street and, concerned for her safety, he called police.

A Gladstone court has heard how a serial DV offender armed with a kitchen knife followed a woman along a Tannum Sands street after a heated verbal exchange. Generic image.

Frightening details of how a serial Central Queensland domestic violence offender armed himself with a kitchen knife and followed a woman down a street after heated verbal exchange, have been heard in court.

The 39-year-old man, who by law cannot be named, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said about 7am on May 29, the man and the female aggrieved got into a verbal altercation at a Tannum Sands residence.

Ms Leach said the altercation escalated when the man got a kitchen knife with a 20cm blade and began walking towards the woman.

“The (woman) has retreated up the street,” Ms Leach said.

“The (man) has walked in a fast manner towards the (woman) holding a knife.”

There was a further verbal altercation and the woman “kept her distance” from the man.

The woman continued walking but the man followed her.

Ms Leach said the man “paced with the knife”.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard that a witness saw what was unfolding and, concerned for the woman’s safety, he called police.

The man was arrested and charged.

The court was told he had a six-page criminal history and at the time of this offence, he was on a suspended sentence for domestic violence offending.

Ms Leach said the man had numerous previous DV offences on his history and he had shown a “blatant disregard” for court orders.

Solicitor Stephen White said the man had suffered from a methamphetamine addiction and his parents, who lived in the Gladstone region, were “deeply concerned for his wellbeing.”

Mr White said the parents were considering relocating with their son interstate to get him away from the drug scene.

Prior to sentencing, Magistrate Mary Buchanan said this was a “serious example” of this sort of offending.

She activated the suspended sentence and sentenced the man to six months’ jail, declaring 35 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served and fixing parole release at August 29, 2024.

A conviction was recorded.