Conrad Lee Burton subjected Gold Coast-based ex to six months of terror after stalking her

A northern New South Wales man subjected his Gold Coast-based ex-partner to six months of terror which included him strangling her, breaking in through her dog door and threatening messages and phone calls. Find out more.

A northern New South Wales man subjected his Gold Coast-based ex-partner to six months of terror which included him strangling her, breaking in through her dog door and threatening messages and phone calls.

Conrad Lee Burton also created images and social media pages of his ex-partner insinuating she was a drug addict and sex worker and then “callously” sent them to her late husband’s parents.

The 43-year-old claims he was suffering drug addiction at the time.

Burton pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Monday to multiple offences including burglary, choking and unlawful stalking.

Judge Deborah Holliday sentenced Burton to a head sentence of three-and-a-half years’ prison to be released on parole on June 17. Burton has been in custody since August last year.

The court was told Burton’s offending took place between February and August last year after his former partner, a 40-year-old widow, broke up with him.

The pair had only been together for six months when the widow initiated the break up.

In February last year Burton began to send his ex messages, including 65 in a 12-hour period, the court was told.

One message read: “You will die when I am staring back at you and you’re dead.”

That same month he also began to leave threatening voicemail messages.

The court was told in one message Burton said: “It’s like you want me to come and strangle you. I will kill you, I will kill you bitch.”

In the messages Burton also implied he was in the woman’s home when he was not, leaving her terrified, the court was told.

About 3am on February 26, Burton also broke into the woman’s home, crawling in through her dog door.

He threatened her before leaving.

The court was told that Burton returned to the woman’s home on July 12 last year and forced his way into his house.

He ignored her requests to leave, and when he tried to grab her phone, she stuffed it down the front of her pants.

The court was told Burton said: “Give me phone or I will choke you out”.

Burton then grabbed her by the throat, making it hard for her to breath.

The woman tried to call out and was unsuccessful, she managed to escape by lying and saying she would give him her phone.

When he got off her she ran into the street.

On August 9 the woman called police scared after spotting Burton outside her home, the court was told.

Burton, the court was told, had during the six-month period of stalking, created fake images and social media profiles which wrongfully insinuated the woman was using drugs and was a sex worker.

He then sent the images and made friend requests to the parents of the woman’s late husband.

Judge Holliday described this particular act as “callous”.

She did have a warning for Burton: “You should not involve yourself with another partner until you have been to rehabilitation.”

The court was told that Burton was suffering from an ice addiction at the time and his time in prison was the first time he had been sober.

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