Bendigo father’s abusive text messages after ex’s sex photo

A Bendigo region father-of-two sent 40 abusive texts to his ex-girlfriend after she sent him photos of her having sex with another man.

A Bendigo region father-of-two sent a barrage of abuse via text to his ex-girlfriend after she sent him photos of her having sex with another man.

The 33-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pled guilty at Bendigo Magistrates Court to breaching his community corrections order and unlicensed driving offences.

The court heard that between 12.47pm Saturday January 3 and 4.51am the next morning the Bendigo father sent 40 texts to his ex-partner.

The abusive messages called the woman a “c — t” and accused her of “spreading her legs” and sleeping around.

“I hope you get cancer, you deserve it” one text read.

Another text was just a picture of a noose, before the Bendigo man threatened to end his life.

On January 31 the woman received 53 phone calls from a private number.

When she answered the phone she would hear his voice and then hang up.

Two days later police arrested the Bendigo man at Haymarket Motor Inn, Bendigo.

His lawyer Natalie Perera said the abuse, while not excusable, had been provoked by his ex-partner.

“She sent photos of herself having sex with another man in their house,” Ms Perera said.

When Magistrates Patrick Southey asked for evidence, the man said he could provide the photos and wiped away tears from his face.

The police prosecutions conceded “there was some serious to-ing and fro-ing” in the lead-up to the abusive barrage.

But Mr Southey told the man his ex-girlfriend contacting him was no excuse.

“Don’t take the bait,” Mr Southey advised.

Ms Perera said her client had a long history of drug and mental health issues.

She said the Bendigo father was homeless at the time and was living out of his car, despite not holding a drivers licence.

Ms Perera said her client had been on a 12-month community corrections order for his previous unlicensed driving.

“He had told me the community corrections order was helping him to stay off the drugs, it was giving him a reason to stay off the drugs,” she said.

The Bendigo man told the court he had struggled to access services, saying “I want the help. I can’t do it on my own”.

Mr Southey said the record showed the man had not attended necessary classes or answered phone calls.

Mr Southey said he was familiar with the man through his many appearances at Bendigo Magistrates Court.

“You always say the right thing you’re very persuasive and then you end up back here,” Mr Southey told the father-of-two.

“This was an appalling barrage of abusive insulting and foul-mouthed (messages).”

Mr Southey sentenced the man to one month imprisonment, taking into account the 13 days he had served, followed by a 12-month community corrections order.