Man with 'entrenched domestic violence attitudes' jailed for terrifying stalking campaign
A Queensland father’s reign of terror against his ex-partner has been met with a scathing rebuke from a judge, who declared his vile actions were not fuelled by alcohol but something far more sinister.
A Queensland father with “entrenched” domestic violence attitudes has been jailed for stalking, abusing and harassing a former partner, carrying out 185 acts in 34 days.
Garon Richard Bob, 46, was on parole and a suspended sentence at the time of his terrifying campaign, Rockhampton District Court heard.
Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Bob had been sentenced in 2020 for a “brutal assault” which involved choking another woman who was a victim of Bob’s domestic violence offending.
She said he had breached the two-year and four-month suspended sentences handed to him by Judge Michael Burnett in June 2020 three times.
“At the time that he was choking the complainant, there were statements about her dying, and she was left with some injuries,” Ms Lawrence said.
Judge Jeff Clarke said Bob’s stalking and abusive offending between Christmas Eve in 2024 and January 28, 2025, started 11 days after his last sentence by a court.
Ms Lawrence said during the stalking, abuse and harassment period, Bob sent 18 text messages, called the victim 141 times, made a further 12 calls via Facebook Messenger, attended her address seven times and damaged her property seven times.
She said he used a Jim Beam bottle to smash a window next to her door on Boxing Day.
He also threatened to “slit his own throat” - a coercive control act - and then threatened to kill the victim, the court heard.
Bob used a dog bowl to smash a window on another occasion after the victim refused to let him inside her home.
Ms Lawrence said the most serious events took place on January 27 when Bob called the victim in the early hours of the morning, then attended her house at 1.30am calling out her name.
She said the victim pretended not to be home, and he poured black oil over a duchess, external wall and plants in her backyard.
Bob left but returned at 4am, calling out her name which she ignored and then smashed her dining room window before leaving.
He returned at 9am, parked in the driveway, retrieved a mower and whipper-snipper from her shed before she confronted him and asked what he was doing.
Ms Lawrence said Bob told the victim the items were his and he wouldn’t be doing it if she had answered her phone.
She said the victim responded by asking him why she should answer her phone.
“In response, he ran towards her back door with a pickaxe,” Ms Lawrence said.
“He yelled and smashed through the complainant’s back screen (door) in an effort to gain entry to her home.
“It caused the glass panel of her wooden door to smash.
“He threatened to return and burn her house down.”
Bob then left and the victim called police to report his behaviour.
He was arrested on January 28 after he was found by police hiding in a neighbour’s bathroom.
Ms Lawrence said Bob had a six-page criminal history dating back 20 years with 27 prior appearances in court for 44 different offences including public nuisance, common assault, choking and assault occasioning bodily harm.
She said the victim in the stalking matter felt that nothing was going to stop Bob from getting inside her home.
“Eventually, because of the level of harassment, she felt numb to everything that he did, including smashing her windows,” Ms Lawrence said.
She said the frequency of Bob’s illegal and unwanted contact caused the victim to suffer anxiety when going out in public because she didn’t know where he was.
“She tried to avoid places she thought he might go,” Ms Lawrence said.
“She otherwise felt that she was constantly looking over her shoulder.”
Ms Lawrence pointed to past court appearances where Bob has claimed his alcohol and illicit substance use was the cause of his behaviour.
She said a report provided to the court showed Bob had “entrenched domestic violence attitudes”.
Judge Clarke said it wasn’t the booze or drugs that “makes him a pig”.
Bob told Judge Clarke he was “sorry for doing it” and the past 10 months in prison on remand had “woken me up”.
Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said this time in prison was the longest incarceration period her client had served to date.
Judge Clarke said Bob’s behaviour “simply has to stop”.
“It’s high time you change your behaviour,” he said.
Bob pleaded guilty to the stalking, abuse and harassment charge and was sentenced to 2.5 years prison with 287 days presentence custody declared as time served and immediate parole eligibility.
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Originally published as Man with 'entrenched domestic violence attitudes' jailed for terrifying stalking campaign
