John Condon: Dubbo man sentenced for intimidating ex

A western NSW business owner who entered his terrified ex’s home and intimidated her twice was struggling to accept their recent break-up, a court has heard.

John Condon, 43, was sentenced for entering his ex's home without consent and intimidation at Dubbo Local Court in January 2023.

A Dubbo business owner who twice entered his terrified ex’s home and intimidated her was unable to accept the recent end of their relationship, a court has heard.

John Condon, 43, pleaded guilty to entering a building intending to commit an indictable offence, unlawful entry to enclosed lands and two counts of intimidation in respect of two incidents at his ex’s Dubbo home.

He further pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening an AVO in relation to friend requests he sent to the victim on social media in March 2022.

Agreed facts tendered to Dubbo Local Court on January 19 reveal Condon and his ex had ended a one month intimate relationship on November 28, 2021.

On December 5, documents state Condon and the victim met at the South Dubbo Tavern, where the victim observed Condon was intoxicated.

“The offender said (to the victim) ‘you deserve everything you got from (another person)’,” the facts state.

“The victim decided to leave the tavern and walk home to her residence.”

Around midnight, the victim woke to see Condon standing over her beside her bed.

“The offender was saying ‘why didn’t you reply to me’, (and) the victim felt threatened and terrified about what the offender might do to her,” the facts state.

“She attempted to get out of the bed and said ‘you need to get out of my house now’.”

The victim managed to lure Condon to her front lawn before running around him back into the house and shutting and locking the door.

On December 20, the victim was with her sister and friend in her backyard pool when Condon jumped the fence into her backyard and then followed her into her house.

“The victim became afraid that the offender was in her backyard and started to fear what he would do,” the facts state.

“She got out of the pool and walked inside the house … when she turned around the offender was standing behind her in the entrance to her ensuite.”

The facts state the victim asked Condon to leave her house and he attempted to pull her into the ensuite before he finally left.

Dubbo Local Court. Picture: Supplied

At Dubbo Local Court on January 19, Condon’s barrister Michael Powell told the court Condon was struggling to accept the end of his relationship and had been making sub-optimal choices with alcohol when the incidents occurred.

“Aside from trying to usher her into the ensuite there’s been no actual corporal, physical violence or touching in relation to any of these matters,” Mr Powell told the court.

“He became a nuisance – he seems to have gotten with the program now, and I submit there’s not much likelihood, or none at all, that there will be any reprises of what’s occurred.”

At court, Magistrate Gary told Condon his actions would have been terrifying for his former partner.

“A person should be able to go home and feel safe in their own residence, not switching on cameras to make sure the coast is clear and make sure nothing untoward is going to happen,” Mr Wilson told Condon.

“The material effect that would have on someone is concerning – you turning up in the middle of the night, she wakes up, it would be terrifying for a woman by herself.”

Mr Wilson convicted Condon of all counts and sentenced him to a 12-month intensive correction order with supervision for entering the woman’s residence to commit an indictable offence.

He is to abstain from alcohol for the term of the order.

For the two intimidation charges, Condon was sentenced to an 18-month community correction order, and he was fined $400 for entering enclosed lands in relation to jumping the victim’s fence.

Condon was further convicted for the two AVO contraventions and fined $1000 in total.