Anthony Covolo: Narangba man jailed for stalking woman

A Moreton Bay plant operator has been jailed for stalking a woman for the second time, going to bizarre lengths to make contact.

A Moreton Bay man bombarded his ex-partner with calls, texts, and emails during two periods of “suffocating and relentless stalking”, calling her once every 22 minutes, making dummy Facebook accounts and impersonating police officers to get her to drop her complaint.

Narangba man Anthony James Covolo, 40, a plant operator with a two-decade career in the mining industry, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Monday to one count of aggravated stalking, his second offence of stalking against his ex-partner and third overall.

The court heard the most recent aggravated stalking occurred between August 22–25 last year, just four days after he was released on parole, on August 19, for stalking the same woman.

In the four days of stalking, the court heard, Covolo called his victim 154 times, or once every 22 minutes on average, from several mobile numbers.

Narangba stalker Anthony John Covolo, 40. Picture: LinkedIn

He also sent her multiple Facebook messages, texts and emails, and created burner social media accounts to continue to contact her.

He was arrested on September 4 and has spent the intervening period in custody, serving out his previous sentence of two-and-a-half years’, imposed by Judge Anthony Rafter SC in May last year.

On that previous occasion, Covolo stalked the woman, the same victim in the current matter, between December 2019 and February 2020 following a breakdown of the relationship.

During that period of stalking, Covolo subjected the woman to a “relentless harassing campaign,” in the words of Crown prosecutor Sandra Cupina, by calling her, her friends and her family constantly, making fake social media profiles to contact her and impersonating police to intimidate her.

The court heard Covolo pretended to be the “assistant commissioner of police” and another officer on separate occasions to try to strongarm the woman into withdrawing her complaint.

In 2017, Covolo was placed on 12 months’ probation by the Redcliffe Magistrates Court for stalking another woman, calling her derogatory terms repeatedly and vandalising property.

Ms Cupina told the court Covolo was “essentially unstoppable by court orders” and described his conduct as “suffocating and relentless”.

Defence counsel Tracy Thorp told the court her client, a father of three, had a good work history in the mining industry, where his sister worked as a high-ranking recruiter, and was hopeful of using those connections to secure work upon his release.

She noted he was supported by his mother, stepfather, sister, nieces, nephews and youngest daughter, all of whom were present in court.

But Judge Craig Chowdhury was incredulous at Covolo’s behaviour.

“He just doesn’t learn his lesson,” Judge Chowdhury.

“This is really bad.

“You are setting a shocking example for your children.”

Covolo was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, with parole eligibility on September 28.

The court heard Covolo was unlikely to see freedom until August 2022, when his sentence for the stalking of December 2019 – February 2020 expired.