James Kopi sentenced in Toowoomba District Court for stalking after he made repeated threats to kill his ex-partner

He refused to accept a relationship and made repeated attempts to contact the woman before breaking into her home, threatening to kill her, and posting her personal information to Facebook falsely saying she was new a prostitute in town.

Papua New Guinea national James Kopi has been sentenced in Toowoomba District Court for stalking his former partner. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

James Kopi is facing the prospect of having his working visa revoked after he pleaded guilty to aggravated stalking.

The 29-year-old Papua New Guinea national was dating a woman for about six months before their relationship ended.

Crown prosecutor Abbey Kong told Toowoomba District Court on Friday that Kopi refused to accept the relationship was over.

From May 12 to June 3, 2024, Kopi made repeated attempts to reconnect with the woman and when she refused he became increasingly violent.

The court was told Kopi would knock on her window at night, sneak into her bedroom when she wasn’t, remove personal items from the house and damage her clothes.

At one point he broke into her home and poured laundry detergent over her bed.

Kopi made repeated threats to kill the woman, telling her friends that if they did something stupid he would hunt the woman down.

He posted the woman’s photo, name and phone number on a Facebook community forum falsely saying she was a new prostitute in town.

Police arrested Kopi in June last year after he cut the flyscreen on the woman’s bedroom window and remained in custody until Friday when he pleaded guilty to stalking.

The court was told Kopi came to Australia to work in an abattoir and chicken farm to send money home to his family.

Judge John Allen sentenced Kopi to two years jail with immediate parole after taking into account the eight months he spent in presentence custody.

“Whether you will continue to remain lawfully in Australia will depend upon a decision from the immigration authorities,” he said.

“But in the meantime it does seem appropriate to me that you be subject to the supervision of a parole order.”

Originally published as James Kopi sentenced in Toowoomba District Court for stalking after he made repeated threats to kill his ex-partner