Shaun Kane: Gippsland man stalks young girl in Warragul

A 13-year-old girl cried as a Gippsland man with schizophrenia stalked her and asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend for the night.

Shaun Kane pleaded guilty to stalking. Picture: Generic

A Gippsland creep has been jailed after he stalked a young girl in a street and asked her out because he wanted a girlfriend “for the night”.

Shaun Kane, 45, was sentenced at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on October 5 after pleading guilty to charges including stalking and impersonating a police officer.

The court heard Kane approached a 13-year-old girl who was walking in a Warragul street on September 14, 2020.

Kane said “hello” and put his hand out to shake the girl’s hand.

When the girl put her hand out, he grabbed it and kissed it.

The girl started to shake in fear and tried to walk away.

But the court heard Kane followed her and asked questions about where she lived and where she went to school.

He asked her out, calling her attractive and said he wanted a girlfriend “for the night”.

A witness saw the young girl looking uncomfortable and asked if she was okay.

When the girl started crying the witness drove her home.

The court also heard Kane impersonated a police officer when he flashed a gold style badge to an off-duty cop in Warragul on January 9.

He was found wearing a top with the word ‘police’ written across the front.

Kane’s lawyer Stephen Peterson said the man had schizophrenia.

“He is doing much better than what he was when he was picking up cigarette butts and drinking in the streets of Warragul,” he said.

Mr Peterson said Kane, who grew up in Dandenong, was not taking his prescribed medication when the offending happened.

“Circumstances relate to a complete deterioration of his mental health,” he said.

Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said Kane’s offending was “attributable” to his decision to stop taking his medication.

Magistrate Bailin said the 13-year-old girl was entitled to not be harassed by a 45-year-old man.

“Her distress is evident when a good Samaritan intervened, she broke down crying from the stress you placed her under,” he said.

“You are indeed very fortunate you’re not facing more serious charges for that incident.”

Kane was sentenced to 111 days imprisonment with a 18-month community corrections order.

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