Accused Frankston North schoolgirl stalker Richard Ng to stay behind bars after refusing sentence offer
A 38-year-old man is alleged to have stalked a 17-year-old girl as she walked to her Frankston North school. Richard Ng could now be free, so why is he still in jail?
South East
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An alleged stalker accused of preying on a Frankston North schoolgirl is set to remain behind bars for at least another month.
Richard Ng is alleged to have followed the 17-year-old Monterey Secondary College student as she walked to school in February this year.
Police say Mr Ng was driving his white van as he allegedly stalked the young girl down side streets on February 27.
He is then alleged to have asked her if she wanted a lift.
She said no and was so terrified she sprinted to the college to raise the alarm.
Police say when they arrested Mr Ng they allegedly found short pieces of rope which they believe could have been used as hand restraints.
On Tuesday Frankston Magistrates’ Court heard Mr Ng could have been released immediately on time served, with a community corrections order of at least 12 months to follow.
But the Frankston North 38-year-old refused that sentence indication and instead will spend at least another four weeks on remand.
The site of this alleged offending is just metres away from Nat’s Track, where Frankston teen Natalie Russell was killed by Paul Denyer in 1993.
In court Mr Ng’s lawyer said his client had advised him not to accept the sentence indication unless the corrections order was lessened to three months in duration.
He said Mr Ng was adamant he didn’t want to be on an order for that long.
Magistrate Charles Tan said he would not be dictated to by defendants.
“This will not become a negotiating process,” Mr Tan said.
“I had indicted a short, sharp sentence which would not have exceeded his time on remand, and a community corrections order which won’t be shorter than 12 months.
“I will impose a sentence I think is appropriate, this is not a Dutch auction.”
Mr Ng was remanded and will appear in court again by video link on September 16.
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