Tom Rutter: Strathpine man jailed for stalking, choking woman

A Moreton Bay man has been jailed for terrorising a woman, choking her until police arrived and using her old Facebook profiles to deal meth.

A “mean” Moreton Bay ice addict has been jailed for terrorising and brutalising a woman, stalking her over a period of months, choking her for up to 20 seconds, only stopped when police intervened, and using her old Facebook profiles to deal methamphetamine.

His deplorable actions and “unimpressive” criminal history prompted Judge Julie Dick SC to remark, in Brisbane District Court on Friday, that Strathpine man Tom Lawrence Rutter, 30, was “mean to people”.

Rutter pleaded guilty to four counts: common assault, stalking, supplying methamphetamine and choking.

The court heard the stalking occurred between February 8 and March 6 last year at Lawnton.

The most serious aspects were only uncovered following Rutter’s arrest for assaulting then choking the woman for up to 20 seconds, only stopping when police interceded, a “protracted, persistent level of violence,” the court heard.

Strathpine stalker Tom Lawrence Rutter, 30. Picture: Facebook

Rutter’s mobile phone revealed he had been monitoring her phone, had attempted to recover data from her phone, and had been using three of her old Facebook profiles to deal methamphetamine, which he did on at least one occasion, on March 4.

His offending was committed in breach of a suspended sentence and the period of stalking commenced just a week after the expiration of a previous parole order for unrelated offending, the court heard.

It was submitted on behalf of Rutter, a plasterer and father-of-three, he had “emotional issues” stemming from his childhood which flared when he was in the “throes” of ice addiction.

Judge Dick took submission with a dose of scepticism.

“He’s 30, he can’t keep harking back to prejudicial childhood,” she said.

“Every meth addict is OK when they’re sober.”

Judge Dick sentenced Rutter to three years’ imprisonment with immediate parole, taking into account his 469 days remanded in pre-sentence custody.