Armadale Ernst & Young accountant Kiara Mack pleads guilty to stalking, assault charges
An Ernst and Young accountant who menaced her ex was told to stop behaving like a child in court while sobbing at the prospect a conviction could ruin her career.
Inner South
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A sobbing accountant who plotted a series of revenge attacks on her ex has begged to be spared a conviction so she can pursue her career dreams.
Kiara Mack, 23, is due to be sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to six charges including stalking and assault.
Mack, an Ernst & Young accountant, stalked and menaced her ex-boyfriend after the pair broke up early last year.
Mack put on the water works and begged Magistrate Peter Reardon to go light on her.
The jilted lover told the court she is currently studying to become a chartered accountant and feared a conviction could derail her future plans.
However, Magistrate Reardon told Mack to “keep quiet” after she wouldn’t stop sobbing.
“Try and control yourself please Ms Mack, you’re supposed to be a professional accountant, you’re in court, so behave yourself and act like one, you’re not a child …,” he said.
Magistrate Reardon was midway through an address to parties when he realised Mack had turned her camera off.
“Now the accused has turned herself off and that is a concern … her behaviour seems to be out of control,” Magistrate Reardon said.
“I’m aah just trying to not show anyone how upset I am,” Mack said.
“I want you to start acting professionally … your behaviour seems to me more like a seven-year-old child,” Magistrate Reardon said.
“I’m dealing with something that not many people deal with,” Mack said.
“You keep quiet, behave yourself,” Magistrate Reardon.
The scorned lover spray-painted “cheater” in pink across her victim’s black Volkswagen, the court was told.
Mack then barraged her victim with a series of menacing messages via Facebook.
“Stupid to leave your sister’s car out there to … initiating phase 2,” Mack said.
“I know where you live, I know where you work, I know your footy club, I know your favourite bars, I know the code to your house.”
Mack amped up her anger when the victim changed addresses but refused to tell her where he had moved to.
Mack posted intimate photos of her victim in his underwear on Instagram.
The victim believed the posts were publicly visible, the court heard.
Mack then drove around Prahran looking for her victim’s new house and found her victim’s car.
She found his car on the street and spray-painted “cheater” with a love heart symbol on the vehicle.
Mack later sent the victim four texts.
“Checkmate … XXXX … I’m sorry you do the things you do … no need to chat tomorrow X,” Mack said via SMS.
Mack punched, scratched and struck her victim with her shoe outside his house on July 2 last year.
She then followed up with another menacing text.
“Your life is over I have a book of plans to make sure of it,” Mack said.
Mack was arrested and her mobile phone was seized.
Investigators discovered internet search history on “how to find where people live” and real estate pages for properties on the victim’s street on Mack’s phone.
Mack said the “contact” she had with the victim was “just us arguing” and he got his injuries playing football.
“He plays footy and there is often scratches on him,” Mack said.
Mack, who represented herself, told the court she joined Ernst & Young in March last year after two years at KPMG and completing a bachelor of commerce at Deakin Uni.
Mack claimed she was going through mental health issues at the time compounded by Covid lockdown, her break-up with the victim and isolation from friends.
Mack also said a loss of income after taking three months off work made it difficult to make mortgage payments on an apartment she recently purchased in Armadale.
“I’m completely embarrassed and ashamed by my actions,” a sobbing Mack said.
Mack also submitted references and letters including one she claimed was written by the victim.
Mack also provided references work colleagues but told the court her employer was unaware of the charges.
However, the police prosecutor raised issues with the “honesty and accuracy” of the material Mack provided to the court.
“I raise some questions in relation to some of this material,” the prosecutor said.
“Three of the letters appear to be in the same language, the same tone, the same layout, the same headings underlined, signed off in the same manner and they appear to be signatures that may have been used or entered onto the letters by a digital means.
“Without the victim in court … providing some accuracy as to the validity of these reports, I have some concerns, your honour, in relation to the honesty and accuracy in which these reports have been provided …
“They just all appear a bit too similar.”
“You may want to take further investigations to see whether (the material) is valid or not,” Magistrate Reardon said.
Mack begged Magistrate Reardon to postpone her matter until after June 25 so she could complete tax lodgement work.
“I’ve been working about 14 hours a day … it’s too stressful for me to deal with this on top of that and take further time off work,” Mack said.
“It won’t be a lot of time off work … It’s not going to happen the matter will proceed as I’ve outline,” Magistrate Reardon said.
Mack, who was ordered to be assessed for a community correction order, will face court again on June 8.
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