Sarah Ann Kiely pleads guilty to harassing former boyfriend

A Mackay mother jailed for the ‘relentless stalking’ of a past boyfriend and later considered a low risk of reoffending is going back to prison. Read what happened.

A Mackay mother jailed for stalking a past boyfriend and later given a reduced penalty because she was not considered a high risk of reoffending is going back to prison for harassing and threatening a different former partner.

Sarah Ann Kiely’s rang the father of her youngest daughter 315 times over three days in February 2020 and sent menacing text messages including that the mafia would hurt him.

Mackay District Court heard the 40 year old had only been released from custody in December 2019 on appeal bail after she was jailed for stalking a different former boyfriend.

That involved more than 4800 calls and messages over text and Facebook, abusive messages threatening to ruin his new partner’s career, egging his house multiple times and damaging his car between September 2016 and September 2017.

The court heard her offending was described as “relentless stalking”.

She was jailed for three years in August 2019 and spent four months behind bars.

While she was in jail her relationship at the time with the father of her then 12-week-old daughter, who joined her in prison, ended – and within two months of her release on appeal bail she began harassing him.

Sarah Ann Kiely, 40, made and sent harassing calls and text messages to the father of her youngest daughter while on appeal bail for stalking a different ex boyfriend. Kiely now has shoulder length blonde hair with purple tips.

Barrister Dane Marley, acting for Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, said Kiely phoned the man 315 times from a private number between February 5 and 7, with 265 of those calls occurring on February 6.

She also sent text messages from a Telstra pay phone, which Mr Marley said “demonstrates a degree of sophistication” to remain anonymous.

The court heard Kiely also lied to police trying to claim “that another person was responsible for making the calls”.

The texts were “menacing in nature” and included threats for Kiely’s former partner to “watch his back”, the involvement of the mafia and that his new partner would be “threatened and killed”.

Kiely’s appeal was then heard on February 14, a week after committing these offences.

The Court of Appeal considered there were factors that had not been taken into account including that she had not reoffended – she was not charged over the later conduct until June 2020 – which was considered a compelling factor regarding her prospects for rehabilitation and risk of reoffending.

Ultimately the three-year sentence was reduced to two years and she did not have to spend more time in jail.

On Monday Kiely pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, cause offence, after the matter had been listed for trial, witnesses flown to Mackay and a jury panel called.

Barrister Stephen Byrne, for Kiely, said there was still value in her pleas to the court, though they were late.

The court heard Kiely had two daughters aged 2.5 years and 19 years and had been in a new relationship for the past 12 months – her current partner was in court in support.

Kiely will go back to jail for four months after pleading guilty to pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, cause offence. Photo: Brett Wortman/Sunshine Coast Daily

Mr Byrne said his client’s father, who lived with Kiely and her youngest daughter, had been diagnosed with cancer.

Kiely also suffered from personality disorder, anxiety, depression and a blood disorder.

The court heard in 2019 Kiely’s brother took his own life and later her mother died of cancer while she was in custody.

Mr Byrne said his client had a number of vulnerable people relying on her.

Mr Byrnes further stated the four months she had spent in jail was very difficult for her and that this latest stint “will seriously affect” those close to her.

Judge Vicki Loury said this made her later conduct “so breathtaking”.

“That you had experienced such a terrible experience when you were in prison that while you were on appeal bail you reoffended in a similar way in making harassing and menacing phone calls and text messages,” Judge Loury said.

The court heard she has not reoffended in the past two years.

Kiely was jailed for 12 months to be released on a three year good behaviour bond after serving four months.