Man, 29, faces Warwick court after harassing ex-partner almost 40 times

A man who pestered his ex-partner for weeks following their break-up in blatant defiance of a domestic violence order has blamed a ‘lack of love’ from his mother in his childhood for the offending.

A man who fronted the Warwick court for harassing his ex-girlfriend for weeks following their break-up despite the domestic violence order in place has blamed his behaviour on a lack of love throughout his childhood.

The 29-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was first found at his ex-partner’s Southern Downs home on the evening of March 23, only hours after a police protection notice had been taken out against him.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told Warwick Magistrates Court that the man went on to send the woman a total of 24 text messages in the next several days, again breaching the no-contact order.

“One read, ‘I just want to say I’m sorry, I wish I could have been the man you deserve,’, and it goes on,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

Two breaches in only a few days was not enough to deter the man, who emailed the woman another 11 times between April 9 and 17.

Sergeant de Lissa said the man was not threatening or abusive towards his target, but the repeated contact was a clear and deliberate violation of the existing domestic violence order.

“(He) has some previous history of a like nature in 2018, but towards a different aggrieved,” he said.

The man also breached a bail requirement within the same time period.

Defence lawyer Chelsea Saldumbide told the Warwick court her client was mostly raised by his single mother in a household with “no love or nurturing”, which had impacted most of his relationships as an adult.

“He acknowledges that he really sought this love and nurturing from his partner that he didn’t receive from his mother, and when this doesn’t seem to be given to him, he then acts in a way that is not appropriate,” Ms Saldumbide said.

“He had some hope the relationship was able to be resolved so that they could get back together, and the contact is not such that he is asking for the orders to be removed, but having contact in the hope of having some mediation and moving forward.

“But as Your Honour has rightly noted, this contact was not welcomed by the aggrieved and she has reported it to police.”

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess placed the man on probation for nine months with a mandatory requirement to complete domestic violence courses, saying he showed consistent disregard for the law and his ex-partner’s wishes through his controlling and manipulative behaviour.

The man pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening a domestic violence order and one of breaching bail.

No conviction was recorded.