Coffs man sentenced in court over shocking threats to pregnant ex

“I swear to f**king God c**t I’ll see you the f**k tomorrow”: A man who called his pregnant ex 23 times in one day after months of ‘ongoing harassment’ has been convicted.

The Coffs Harbour man has been convicted and sentenced on a charge of stalk/intimidate.

A Coffs Harbour man convicted of threatening his pregnant ex after calling her 23 times in one day will now only be able to contact her regarding their unborn child via email.

Bayden King appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court this week after pleading guilty to a charge of stalk and intimidate, following months of what the magistrate described as “the ongoing harassment” of his ex.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said King and the victim had been in a relationship for seven months before their relationship broke down and they separated.

Between November 2020 and February 2021, it was heard that the accused sent “a large number of texts” to the victim, leading her to block his number.

Despite this, Mr Rodgers said King continued to contact her via a private number, culminating to the crime which took place on February 22.

It was heard that he called the victim 23 times and left her nine voicemail messages on this day. She was 20 weeks pregnant at the time.

The man appeared at Coffs Harbour Local Court this week.

He left her one in particular which led to him being charged, threatening the victim saying he was “making a promise” to turn up at her house and telling her to call the police to meet him there, Mr Rodgers said.

“I swear to f**king God c**t I’ll see you the f**k tomorrow, I’ll rock up there on my birthday,” King said in the message, the court heard.

The defence explained that King had said he reacted in that way as he feared he was being cut out of his unborn child’s life.

Mr Rodgers however said King’s behaviour could only be described as ongoing harassment that was within the realms of “controlling” behaviour, and said it would have caused extreme stress and harm to the victim particularly considering her pregnancy.

It was heard that the sentencing report raised concerns over King’s level of insight into the impact his offending had on the victim, and Mr Rodgers said it was also concerning that King didn’t take the opportunity to complete a domestic abuse behaviour change program which he had been referred to.

It was also noted that King had a previous conviction for a domestic violence related offence.

The magistrate however said that King’s struggles with alcoholism and mental health diagnoses were factors to take into account in terms of his moral culpability.

King was given 100 hours of community service and a 9-month Intensive Corrections Order, an alternative to jail which is served in the community.

A final order was made to protect the victim, preventing King from approaching or contacting her unless through a lawyer for two years. He however may have contact via email for the purposes of receiving information on the pregnancy and the welfare of their child.