Mareeba farm labourer Harry James Begle pleads guilty to stalking and assaulting ex-partner after break-up

A Mareeba farm labourer who threatened to kill his former partner after their break-up, prompting her to flee, has been sentenced to jail, and will likely soon be deported home to Vanuatu.

A Mareeba farm labourer has pleaded guilty in Cairns District Court to stalking and assaulting his fprmer partner. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Mareeba farm labourer who threatened to kill his former partner after their break-up, prompting her to flee, has been sentenced to jail, and will likely soon be deported home to Vanuatu.

Prosecutor Kurt McDonald told the court Harry James Begle, 32, a Vanuatan farm labourer who was working in Mareeba, made 653 phone calls to his partner in a four-day period after their break-up in April last year.

Begle pleaded guilty recently to a charge of stalking and to a charge of common assault when he squeezed his partner’s throat during an argument in February 2024.

Mr McDonald told the court Begle started calling the woman on April 24 last year, leaving more than 100 “aggressive” messages in a 40-minute period at one stage, demanding money and threatening to destroy her property.

Begle left more than 600 messages on his ex-partner’s phone after their break-up over a four-day period, which were increasingly threatening.

The woman was so frightened she fled, the court was told, renting a hotel room in Cairns for herself and her family.

Mr McDonald said while she was away in Cairns, Begle came to her house, and his aggressive messages became more threatening.

He threatened to destroy her car, break her door down, burn down her home, and kill her, he said.

The woman went to the Mareeba Police station a few days later to report the matter, the court was told.

Mr McDonald said while she was at the police station, Begle kept calling.

When the police escorted her outside the station, Begle was there waiting for her.

He was arrested and remanded in custody.

Begle left threatening messages while his partner was making a complaint at the Mareeba police station. Picture: Brendan Radke

Defence barrister James Sheridan said Begle had been in Australia since 2018 or 2019 and had been working on farms to give his younger sister a better life.

He said he sent about one-third of his pay home each week for his younger sister’s education and medical needs, following the death of both of their parents.

He said Begle’s inevitable deportation would mean he would he was unlikely to ever he able to return to Australia and provide for his family in the same way.

Judge Joshua Trevino described Begle’s behaviour as “despicable “ and sentenced him to 18 months jail, with an immediate release date to take into account the 324 days he had spent in custody waiting for sentence.

He said the woman was understandably “extremely fearful” and the sentence must be a deterrence.

Judge Trevino noted that Begle, an unlawful non-citizen, was likely to be taken straight to an immigration detention centre for deportation.

Originally published as Mareeba farm labourer Harry James Begle pleads guilty to stalking and assaulting ex-partner after break-up