Michael Trevor Gaudin: Ipswich man’s ‘personality’ to blame for ‘alarming’ stalking behaviour

The “serious” stalking crimes of an Ipswich man which forced a woman to flee her home arose from issues related to his “personality and background“, a court has heard.

An Ipswich man who stalked a woman for more than two months — “continually” contacting her, her friends, and her new partner, driving past her home, and attending her work — has faced sentence for his “serious” and “significant” crimes.

New Zealand-born Michael Trevor Gaudin, 43, appeared in Ipswich District Court on Monday, June 13 after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful stalking and one of unlawful stalking threatening violence from March this year.

The court heard his pleas were “late” and the offending related to incidents between November 2020 and January 2021, when he was 41 years old.

Crown prosecutor Amy Stannard said Gaudin made some admissions to police about the offending, explaining when interviewed on December 8, 2020 that he had gone to the woman’s home, sent her text messages, and spoken to her associates.

Gaudin was remanded in custody for a period of six days, from December 8 to 14, 2020.

Defence barrister Allana Davie said her client’s actions arose from a set of circumstances related to his “personality and background” and that imprisonment was more onerous on him than on many other people due to his emotional and psychological issues.

The court heard the stalking was “continuous” over a period of two months and 21 days.

Judge Dennis Lynch QC said Gaudin’s crimes involved him “continually” contacting the woman, contacting her associates, and sending offensive material to her new partner.

The 43-year-old also went to and drove past her house, went to her work, stayed near her home, followed her in her car, and threatened violence against her car.

“It’s a significant, aggravating feature of your conduct that it was persisted in over that period,” Mr Lynch said.

“She made it plain that she didn’t want to have contact with you but you persisted because of your own self-interest.”

He said a victim impact statement made clear the woman was significantly impacted by the stalking and was fearful for her safety both at the time of the offending and since.

The court heard the woman had to leave her home for a period of time and her work, home, sleep, and relationships were compromised as a result of the stalking.

Mr Lynch said Gaudin had a criminal history with no similar prior offending, was medicated for depression, and was a qualified roof tiler with a “reasonable” work history.

Mr Lynch also acknowledged the 43-year-old believed he had a difficult upbringing as he thought his parents favoured his brother to him.

“You have, perhaps as a result of your personality, an inability to control your behaviour to such an extent that you don’t interfere with the law, or break the law, or interfere with someone else’s personal liberty,” he told Gaudin.

“In this case you, over a significant period of time, undertook acts which were threatening and very alarming for the complainant and caused her significant impact.”

Gaudin was sentenced to a total of 2.5 years’ imprisonment to be suspended on April 4 next year after serving 10 months, for an operational period of three years.

The six days he spent in presentence custody was declared time served under the sentence.