Tenant Van Hat Le pleads guilty to stalking, harassing landlord
A woman has been left traumatised after her housemate followed her to work, left drawings of hearts on her car, and texted her saying he loved her.
Southeast
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A man has been issued a restraining order after following his housemate to work, leaving drawings of hearts on her car, and sending her text messages telling her he loved her.
Van Hat Le, 27, of Deception Bay faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, November 23 and pleaded guilty to unlawful stalking, trespass, and using a phone to menace, harass, or cause offence.
The court heard the charges related to an unrequited infatuation he had with his former landlord and housemate.
Police prosecutor Harry Coburn said the pair lived together at her Macgregor home between November, 2020 and December last year.
The pair’s relationship was merely one of a landlord and lessee, but Mr Le occasionally overstepped by sending his 25-year-old housemate text messages such as ‘I love you’ and asking her to have dinner with him.
“He would also leave cards and notes on her vehicle with love heart drawings,” Mr Coburn said.
“This caused the complainant emotional distress and sometimes caused her to stay away from the address to avoid the defendant.”
On December 8 last year, he followed the woman to work and asked to speak with her. She refused, as she was at work, and he remained outside for some five minutes before leaving.
The woman subsequently moved out of her home and workplace, arranged for Mr Le to be evicted, and asked him not to message her anymore.
What followed was a period of no contact between December last year and May this year, when he sent her a text message asking if she received the flowers he left at her house.
He attached a photo of the flowers at her property, and apologised for visiting.
In July this year, Mr Le sent further text messages asking her to meet him and telling her he loved her.
She asked him to stop “harassing and stalking” her or she would call police. But he persisted, and was seen visiting her home twice more.
He was arrested in September 2022 while in her backyard, telling police he was at the address because he was “just looking for a place to rent”.
It came after a witness reported seeing someone – believed to be Mr Le – attempt to open a sliding door to the woman's bedroom at night.
Mr Le’s lawyer told the court on Wednesday her client was still “susceptible” to anxiety, depression, and hallucinations, and explained he had travelled to Australia from Vietnam on an international student visa.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Stephen Courtney ordered Mr Lee complete 100 hours of community service and placed him on a six-month $500 good behaviour bond.
He also issued a restraining order preventing Mr Lee from contacting his former landlord.
No convictions were recorded.
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