Sunshine Coast courts: Natalie Speed, Christopher Smyth, Steven Foster and other exes
A man who brutally bashed his ex’s new boyfriend and a woman who stalked her former partner and his parents are just two of the Sunshine Coast offenders who didn’t take their breakups too well. SEE THE LIST
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Breakups can be difficult at the best of times but throw in some punches and hidden cameras and ex-partners can become a nightmare.
From a man who brutally bashed his ex’s new boyfriend in broad daylight to an ex-girlfriend who stalked her former partner and his parents, these are the Sunshine Coast offenders who didn’t take their breakups too well and ended up in court.
CONVICTIONS RECORDED:
Christopher Claude Smyth
A man who was brutally bashed by his ex’s new boyfriend and his parents was lucky to escape with only minor injuries after being choked, punched, kicked and bitten.
Christopher Claude Smyth, along with his parents, assaulted a man in broad daylight on a Nambour street in late-August, 2018.
Smyth, then-19, had joined in after a fight broke out between his father and the victim, a former friend of Smyth.
Facing Maroochydore District Court, Smyth, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm while in company.
On the day of the assault, Smyth’s father yelled “You got something to say, d---head?” at the victim, to which he replied “F--- off” and Smyth’s father punched him twice in the face.
Smyth then ran across the road and joined in, punching the man several times in the face and head and pulling his jacket up over his head.
The victim was pushed onto his back and Smyth’s mother kicked him, the court heard.
On count one Smyth was sentenced to two years on probation, and on count two he was sentenced to six months in jail, wholly suspended for two years.
Natalie Maree Speed
A Maroochydore woman’s latest offending was described as “disturbed” after she stalked her ex-partner and his parents, destroyed their property and committed credit card fraud.
Natalie Maree Speed, 31, was sentenced to two years and nine months’ jail, to be released on parole immediately, in Maroochydore District Court.
In his summary of the facts, Judge Gary Long told the court Speed’s most serious offending was related to the stalking of a prior partner and his parents who were living at two different addresses between February and March, 2021.
“Your conduct was persistent and intensive and occurred over a five-week period,” Judge Long said.
The court heard Speed had also slashed the tyres on a work van belonging to the employer of her ex-partner’s father and damaged the glass front doors of his workplace.
Speed pleaded guilty to 10 charges including unlawful stalking, five counts of wilful damage and fraud.
She came to the police’s attention in 2021 for the stalking charges and spent 376 days in pre-sentence custody before appearing in court.
Steven Mark Foster
Fearful of being sent to prison the next day, a domestic abuser convinced his ex-wife to let him see her and their children before assaulting her in public.
Leading up to the incident, Steven Mark Foster, 30, made several calls and text messages to the mother of his two children saying he wished to see them on August 31, 2017.
A court heard she picked him up about 11am and drove the four of them to Maroochydore, but less than two hours later his behaviour took a turn for the worse.
Foster told his children, “Mummy is putting Daddy in jail” and when they started to cry their mother pulled into a carpark.
He then grabbed the woman by the head and after she told him to leave the car, he reached over and partially snapped the key out of the ignition.
Foster left the car, but when his ex began to ring the police he started yelling and bent her car window until it smashed.
Foster pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court to single counts of common assault, wilful damage and breaching a domestic violence order.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist described Foster’s behaviour as “cowardly” and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment for each offence, suspended for 12 months.
Christian Ross Farrag
Young stupidity was blamed for a Coast teen sharing a nude photo of his ex-girlfriend on a gaming app.
Christian Ross Farrag pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court to using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence after he passed on an intimate photo of his ex-girlfriend without her consent in April of 2020.
Police prosecutor Stephen Potter said the victim had sent a photo of her wearing a G-string to Farrag during their four to five-month relationship.
Sergeant Potter said the side of the victim’s left breast and buttocks could be seen in the partially naked photo of her in a kneeling position.
She ordered the unemployed Tanawha resident to complete 60 hours of community service.
A conviction was recorded.
Patrick John King
A father narrowly avoided jail after he “flogged” his ex-partner’s new boyfriend.
A court was told Patrick John King, 45, received “highly inflammatory” text messages from his ex partner’s phone, which were authored by her new boyfriend.
Prosecutor Tegan Smith said King was told the boyfriend was parked outside a Birtinya property before he made his way outside to confront him on March 28, 2019.
“In terms of the assault it is aggressive and it is vicious,” Ms Smith said.
“The defendant has actually had to go down the stairs, across the road and then assault the victim in the manner, which he did, which included attempting to pull him, the victim, from the vehicle, punching him five or six times.”
Ms Smith said he suffered bruising and swelling to the forehead, a cut above the eyebrow and swelling on his hand and forearm.
At Maroochydore Magistrates Court, King pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.
King was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison with immediate parole.
Raymond Charles Matthews
A Coast man who filmed his ex-partner without her permission while they had sex and as she was showering had the cameras installed during home renovations.
Raymond Charles Matthews pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court in 2021 to recording in breach of privacy.
Police prosecutor Nick Nitschke said the 57-year-old grandfather had installed cameras his Mountain Creek home, which he’d shared with his ex-partner.
The court heard the pair had during their relationship consensually made sex tapes together, however Matthews on three separate occasions filmed the woman without her permission after they broke up.
Sergeant Nitschke said the woman discovered she’d been filmed after Matthews told her while they were clearing out the house after they broke up.
Matthews was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail, which was wholly suspended for 12 months.
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