Sean Russell pleads guilty to stalking, dangerous driving in Hume

Distressing audio has been played in court of the moment a Queensland pool worker ran his ex off the road in Canberra after harassing her for months.

Sean Martin Russell leaving ACT Magistrates Court following his sentence on Tuesday.

A frightening recording has been played in court of the moment a Queensland pool worker ran his ex-girlfriend off the road after months of stalking her.

Sean Martin Russell, 20, was “head over heels” with his victim, ACT Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday, however after their relationship ended when the Mackay man began incessantly stalking her.

This led to him spending several weeks on remand before he was bailed and eventually pleaded guilty to stalking, dangerous driving and property damage.

Agreed facts say Russell and the victim were in a relationship between October 2021 to July 2022, but during this time she found he showed “toxic and controlling” behaviour.

She ended the relationship in July 2022 but they resumed contact in February 2023.

Police say Russell stalked the victim in the months that followed where he drove past her house, called non stop and threatened her.

Sean Martin Russell pleaded guilty to three charges.

Perhaps the most frightening incident occurred on April 27 when the victim was ran off the road by Russell after following her car in Hume.

The victim called her friends during the incident and recorded their phone call which was played in open court on Tuesday.

In the recording the victim can be heard screaming at the top of her lungs when Russell swerved in front of her. She was forced to brake and completely stop to avoid a collision.

Russell got out of his car and yelled at her through the window, demanding she get out of the car and to know where she was going.

“You could’ve killed me,” she screamed at Russell on the recording.

Another motorist stopped to see if the victim needed help, however Russell ran in front of their car and smashed their passenger window.

Following this road rage incident Russell was charged but later had his bail revoked on July 11 for continuing to contact the victim.

Russell now lives in Mackay.

He was remanded in custody until August 18 until bail was granted again.

In her victim impact statement, the woman said she had “lost so much” because of Russell and how his offending impacted all aspects of her life, but felt she was now in a “better place”.

Defence barrister James Maher said Russell was remorseful and never tried to justify what he did following the “short but quite intense” relationship the pair had.

Mr Maher said the 20-year-old had since moved to Mackay, made new friends and started a new job as a pool installation worker.

The leader barrister said Russell received treatment for his mental health and was in a “better and healthier” position in life compared to 12 months ago.

Prosecutor Michael Gemmell accepted Russell made positive steps towards rehabilitation but reiterated the 20-year-old deliberately used his car to force the victim off the road to interrogate her.

Magistrate James Lawton sentenced Russell to 14 months’ jail, suspended to enter into a good behaviour order for 18 months.

He was disqualified from driving for three months and ordered to pay $395 reparations for the good Samaritan’s car.

Originally published as Sean Russell pleads guilty to stalking, dangerous driving in Hume