Jonathan Russell Massey pleads guilty to stalking woman after break up

A water proofer jailed for incessantly stalking a woman has been attacked and left with an eye bulge and a bowel obstruction because he was unable to properly chew foods.

Jonathan Massey outside Maroochydore District Court this week. Picture: Patrick Woods

A water proofer has suffered a gruesome injury in jail after being attacked while on remand for stalking a woman for three weeks.

Jonathan Russell Massey was assaulted during his 194 day stint in jail for incessantly harassing the woman following their break up.

Maroochydore District Court heard on Tuesday how the 37-year-old repeatedly contacted and followed his victim from September 15 to October 5 last year.

The court was told over the 24 days of stalking, Massey called the victim hundreds of times, sometimes through private phone numbers and from phone boxes. He also “bombarded her” with countless messages through texts and Facebook.

Massey pleaded guilty. Picture: Patrick Woods

Massey loitered in the victim’s street under the guise of walking his dog at one point and tried to speak to her as she drove into the street even though she made her feelings known by driving away, the court was told.

He also continued to follow her when she tried to make her way home after hiding from him.

She became so afraid she even found refuge at a police station.

Despite blocking him on numerous accounts, she made the decision to move from her home and change her normal routine.

Massey was arrested on October 10 last year where he was remanded in custody. He remained there until his sentence this week where he pleaded guilty to unlawful stalking.

Defence barrister Lily Brisick said Massey came from a prejudicial upbringing and suffered from bouts of homelessness for parts of his life after moving from New Zealand to Australia.

Massey after he was released from the watch-house. Picture: Patrick Woods

While inside, Ms Brisick said the 37-year-old was the victim of a violent assault on December 16 last year.

He was left with serious facial injuries and spent two nights in the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.

She told the court Massey was recommended corrective surgery to his face however declined this due to his fear of infection following recovery in jail.

Due to his injuries being untreated, he was left with pain and suffered from an eye that would bulge from time to time as well as a bowel obstruction due to being unable to properly chew foods.

Once released, Ms Brisick said the New Zealand born man hoped to find work.

Judge Glen Cash acknowledged there were no overt threats of violence or property damage but called his offending “serious harassment”.

The District Court Judge said this was the only time in the 37-year-old’s life that he offended but did so in a “particularly serious way”.

The Nambour man was jailed for 15 months’, however with 194 days time served, the rest of his sentence was suspended for two years, which meant he was released from custody.