Redland Bay man Kurt Antony Germann, 42, stalks woman with ‘weird’, ‘threatening’ messages

A female domestic violence counsellor was left “absolutely petrified” by a former electrician whose “twisted” stalking included sending her a shocking video involving a knife being held to a pig’s neck.

A sales engineer and former electrician who stalked a men’s counsellor – including sending her a video of a man holding a knife to a pig’s neck – has been told he could be jailed for up to one year, should he contact his victim again.

Kurt Antony Germann, 42, of Redland Bay was momentarily remanded into police custody at his Cleveland Magistrates Court appearance on Thursday so that a magistrate could review facts of his months’ long stalking that left a men’s counsellor “absolutely petrified”.

Germann pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawful stalking.

The court heard the defendant had completed an eight-week men’s counselling program at Men & Co Services in Capalaba last year when an appreciation for the program devolved into a “twisted” infatuation with one of its facilitators.

Germann sent a large volume of inappropriate text messages directed to his victim while drunk to a mobile phone belonging to the counselling service.

The stalking behaviour persisted from July 9 last year to February 26.

He came to the attention of police when he ignored a cease-and-desist order from Men & Co in January.

The court heard his behaviour became “weird”, “threatening” and “concerning” when it dramatically escalated over seven weeks from January 23.

A police prosecutor said his offending involved an element of violence when he sent a video to his victim of a man holding a knife to a pig’s neck.

It escalated further when Germann sent his victim, who closely guards her privacy, unsolicited Facebook friend requests under two pseudonyms “Jude Smith” and “Anthony Gold”, the court was told.

Kurt Antony Germann, 42, of Redland Bay leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to stalking a woman for months.

The “prolonged stalking” left the woman who provided a much needed service to the community “absolutely petrified”, according to a police prosecutor.

Germann’s defence solicitor said their client had felt a personal connection with his victim at a time when he was “emotionally vulnerable” and regretted his behaviour.

The defence noted the stalking did not involve any actual violence or actual following of the victim and was driven by alcohol abuse.

The father-of-two had been separated from his partner of 23 years at the time and had since rekindled the relationship, the court was told.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said it was concerning that the only character reference tendered on behalf of Germann came from a man he met four weeks ago during counselling for alcohol abuse.

Ms Vasta noted Men & Co and its facilitators provide a critical function in the fight against domestic violence, was one of only a few such services available and had a waiting period of nine months, which made Germann’s offending all the more damaging.

“That joy and appreciation of the program has somehow in your mind become quite twisted and warped into having an affection and ultimately a love for one of the program facilitators,” Ms Vasta said.

“It is really important that courts protect them (these counselling services).”

Ms Vasta acknowledged Germann’s complete lack of criminal history when she sentenced him to three years’ probation.

He was further ordered to complete 100 hours’ of unpaid community service.

The defendant was also placed on a five-year non-contact order with his victim and Men & Co.

Ms Vasta warned Germann that should he breach the order he could be jailed for up to one year.

No conviction was recorded.