‘He reacted badly’: Court told why serial stalker followed more than 20 women

The reason why a serial stalker followed more than 20 women he met through apps like Tinder and Facebook Marketplace has been revealed in court.

The serial stalker who pursued more than a dozen Adelaide women that he met online did so because he had trouble dealing with their breakups, a court has heard.

Sean Ian Bruce Flintoff, 36, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to more than 20 counts of stalking over a 10-year period.

Flintoff targeted women aged in their 30s from across metropolitan Adelaide through online dating apps like Tinder and Facebook marketplace.

Sean Flintoff targeted dozens of women he met online. Picture: Facebook

Lawyer Nick Vadasz, acting for Flintoff, told the Elizabeth Magistrates Court that his client believed he had a daughter from a relationship in 2008 but after he found the woman in bed with a friend.

“That’s possibly caused some of these problems,” the lawyer said.

It was also argued that Flintoff was in a relationship with a large portion of women involved with the allegations and did not know how to cope with the break ups.

“One by one they broke off their relationships and Mr Flintoff obviously could not cope with that and tried to maintain their relationship and reacted badly,” Mr Vadasz said.

“He’s now had close to a year to reflect and think about his attitude to the victims of his offending and towards women generally. Prior to this offending he’s had no such problems.”

Flintoff met his victims through online apps like Tinder and Facebook Marketplace.

But Magistrate Mark Semmens questioned the lawyer’s argument about Flintoff having no past behavioural issues.

“He sent sex workers to people’s houses. He sent items which had not been asked for. He sent pizzas to people’s houses, and multiple text messages,” Mr Semmens said.

“He wrote on a victim’s car the word ‘slut’ and ‘I’m a slut’. It’s deeply concerning and it’s not just someone who can’t handle a break-up.”

The court was told Flintoff sent sex workers, pizza and other things to people’s houses when they did not ask. Picture: Facebook

Mr Vadasz asked for Flintoff’s sentence to be suspended and said it was not opposed by the prosecution.

Magistrate Semmens was quick to reply: “That may be their view but it’s not mine”.

The police prosecutor said a jail term greater than what the stalker had already served was the only warranted penalty, but asked for the man to be under correctional supervision if the sentence was suspended.

Flintoff is due to reappear in court in September. Picture: Jason Katsaras

Flintoff is due to reappear in court in September after he has a psychiatric assessment, which will be considered when sentenced.

His offending came to light in August last year after one woman came forward to police.

The woman met the defendant on Tinder and soon after reported him as she to have “feared for her safety” because he allegedly began to stalk her.

As officers searched his Andrews Farm home in Adelaide’s north the following day, they allegedly found different types of evidence, including mail in different women’s names.

Following media attention from that first incident, numerous others came forward claiming they too were victims of stalking by Flintoff.