‘Sorry for the devil’: Married meter reader’s creepy calls to ex

An Ipswich man who harassed his ex over the phone for five months said he was “sickened” by the drunken offending he couldn’t remember, but “it’s very hard to be sorry for the devil”.

An Ipswich ex-meter reader whose shocking range of calls to his ex-partner ranged from breathing heavily into the phone to threatening her children has told a court it was hard to be “sorry for the devil”.

Daniel Robert Davidson, 42, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2022, to 14 counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

He said his relationship with his ex had been unhealthy and that she had tried to reach out to him when she saw he was engaged to his now-wife.

“It’s very hard to be sorry for the devil … But I am sorry,” said Davidson.

“I don’t want anything to do with her, but I do not wish that I had ever said this stuff to her”.

The court heard that between May and October 2021, Davidson made repeated calls to an ex-girlfriend of his, which Magistrate Dennis Kinsella described as having a “menacing, threatening or offensive nature”.

On many of the occasions, Davidson would breathe into the phone or be silent, but on other occasions he would make more specific threats.

“You said on some occasions that you would ‘bring hell down,’ that you would ‘cause pain’ … You talked about causing horror, causing pain and affecting the complainant’s kids,” said Mr Kinsella.

Davidson represented himself and said he was struggling with alcohol abuse at the time, and that he didn’t recall making the calls.

“I can only say that I am sickened by what’s actually come about,” he said.

He explained he had been under a lot of stress while working as an Energex meter reader and had been self-medicating through alcohol, drinking upwards of 20 drinks a day.

Davidson said his offending had put stress upon his marriage and that repairing that relationship was his priority.

“I just want to live a quiet life with my wife. I love my wife,” he said.

Since his offending, Davidson completed a 12 week counselling course for his alcohol abuse – as he was strongly encouraged by his wife to do so.

The court heard he had no criminal history, a relatively normal upbringing, and is now employed as an event stage builder.

Davidson was sentenced to two years of probation and a three-year good behaviour bond with recognisance of $2000.

A conviction was recorded.