Bendigo father admits to stalking woman after Valentine’s Day assault

A Bendigo stalker told a woman he thought she “liked it rough” following an alleged sexual assault on Valentine’s Day

A woman told police she was petrified after a Bendigo father stalked her for two months, sending her gifts, letters and bombarding her with Facebook messages following an alleged Valentine’s Day sexual assault.

The man, who the Herald Sun has chosen not to name, appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to stalking a woman, sending abuse over a carrier service and breaching his bail conditions.

He also faced allegations he sexually assaulted the same woman in her home on Valentine’s Day.

Police said the woman returned to her home after going out with a friend on Valentine’s Day to find a gift left by the accused on her doorstep.

Police said at 12.45am the man started ringing her doorbell, which she ignored.

Then the texts started.

Police said the woman eventually let him into her home and he immediately walked into her bedroom.

They said she followed him into the bedroom to talk when he started pestering her about her friend, becoming enraged and jealous.

It was alleged he pushed her onto the bed and tore her nightgown and pyjama top, exposing her breasts.

Police said the woman was yelling “no don’t do this” and as she tried to cover herself the accused pinned her arms down.

They said the woman was crying as he started sucking her breasts and kissing her.

It was alleged after sexually assaulting her, he cuddled his victim as she lay there crying.

The woman later told him to leave, which he did.

“You scared me last night, if a man forces himself on you that says a lot,” the woman texted her alleged assaulter.

His lawyer, Luke Docherty said he believed the Valentine’s Day incident was consensual, and in one text told the woman “I thought you liked it rough”.

While the man admitted to the stalking charges, he denied he sexually assaulted the woman.

The court heard that on February 22 the woman blocked his texts, but that did not stop the stalker from making contact with the woman.

Even while on bail the Bendigo stalker returned to old habits, bombarding a woman with messages the day after he appeared in court on April 14.

He admitted to going to the woman’s home the day after his court hearing to leave a letter under her door saying “you have nothing to worry about, I love you”.

The court heard for the next 12 days the woman was bombarded by more than 80 messages and multiple calls — in just one day the accused sent her 36 Facebook messages and multiple calls.

On Friday 23 April the Bendigo man appeared at the woman’s front door, handed her a bottle of booze and then left.

The next day he continued to message her, even when she told him to stop, and returned to her home.

The woman ignored him ringing the doorbell for five minutes, until the stalker broke into her backyard and tested the doors to get inside.

When police arrived he fled from the garden.

The accused later told officers he did not believe his actions would cause fear.

“He said he was gullible and he loved her,” police prosecutors told the court.

“(But) I’ve spoken to her and she’s fearful and scared.

“She’s petrified.”

But Mr Docherty said the man was given “mixed messaged” with the woman responding to texts and participating in phone calls lasting as long as 80 minutes.

Mr Docherty said the accused was a father-of-three and the only employee of his transport company, which runs from Bendigo to Kerang.

On Wednesday May 5 Magistrate Russell Kelly reviewed the four pages of messages and said the proven stalking charge was complicated by the fact the woman had replied to his persistent contact.

“The court wants to protect women from manipulative men, but they also have to protect themselves,” Mr Kelly said.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lindsay Riley responded “It’s not Victoria Police’s stance to engage in victim blaming”.

Sgt Riley said the woman called police about the stalking on multiple occasions, adding the accused would appear at her home when she did not respond.

The man pleaded guilty to the stalking charges, abuse over a carrier service and two counts of breach of bail.

He did not plead guilty to the sexual assault, and will reappear at a later date for a contest mention.

“I don’t know what delusions you might get over the next six months – hopefully none,” Mr Kelly told the accused.

“But she wants nothing to do with you, do you understand?”

The accused, who appeared in court via a prison link, said he understood then looked down at his hands as his sentence was read out.

Mr Kelly sentenced the man to two months imprisonment, with 14 days served, and a community corrections order on Tuesday, May 11.

Mr Kelly said the community corrections order would include court supervision, mental health treatment, and an offending behaviours program.