Maryborough Correctional Centre prisoner pleaded guilty to breaching a domestic violence order

A Maryborough prisoner sent a soppy card to his partner on the outside. There was just one problem.

Maryborough Correctional Centre -

Not even prison could stop a man from contacting his former partner, using a three-way call to contact her and then sending a card from the correctional centre to her home.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening a domestic violence order when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

The court heard the man was a prisoner at the jail and he appeared in court via videolink.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Sonia Edwards said on September 2, 2023, about 5.23pm the woman received a message from a mobile phone number stating, “your man is trying to call”.

She wrote back “who is this?”

Then a call came from a third party and on the line was her former partner, who asked what was going on between them.

The call was recorded as part of the process at the correctional centre, Sgt Edwards said, and the transcript and recording was provided to the police.

During the call there had been a conversation where the man asked where the relationship was going, Sgt Edwards said, adding that there were no threats.

But the man had repeatedly asked if they were still in a relationship, Sgt Edwards said.

On September 10, 2024, the woman had received a card in the mail from the Maryborough Correctional Centre, Sgt Edwards said.

She recognised the defendant’s handwriting with the message “hey babe, how are you and the kids? I love you so much”.

Maryborough Correctional Centre.

The woman contacted police and said she was concerned and frustrated that the man knew where she lived and she had concerns for when he was released from prison, Sgt Edwards said.

The man was in custody for several offences, including previous contraventions and he had become eligible for parole in August, the court heard.

The man represented himself during his court appearance.

He said he had called the woman to see “where they were” because they had been together for six years.

The man said the woman had been contacting him through his sister in emails.

The woman had sent a message via email saying she’d had thoughts of him contacting other women “which wasn’t true”.

He said the woman had “gone out of her way” to breach him on the order because “she obviously thinks I’m talking to other girls” and he wasn’t allowed to add her number to contact her.

“But she’s got to understand in my shoes that I get breached every time I contact her,” the man said.

Sgt Edwards said the man had admitted quite frequently that he had contacted the victim.

“I was very concerned about the statements he was making,” Magistrate John Milburn said, adding he needed to understand that the order was against him.

“You must abide by the terms of the order,” he said.

Mr Milburn said the man’s actions had demonstrated a “profound disrespect” towards his victim.

He said the man remained eligible for parole.

The man was sentenced to three months in prison, wholly suspended for 12 months.

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Originally published as Maryborough Correctional Centre prisoner pleaded guilty to breaching a domestic violence order