Gladstone man in trouble for selling ex-wife’s stuff at garage sale

A “vindictive” Qld man’s decision to sell his ex-wife’s stuff at a garage sale came back to bite him when an online listing landed him in court.

A Gladstone man found himself in court after he sold some of his ex-wife’s belongings in a garage sale without her knowing. Generic image.

A man whose domestic violence offending included selling some of his ex-wife’s things at a garage sale without her knowing, has faced court.

The man in his 40s, who by law cannot be named, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to charges including multiple counts of contravening a police protection notice, multiple counts of contravening a domestic violence order, multiple counts of breaching bail, and one count each of obstructing police and assaulting police.

The court heard the man’s offending happened at Gladstone between September last year and January this year during a relationship breakdown with his ex-wife.

Among the items sold included several pairs of her pants, as well as decor items from their wedding - some of which she had purchased and others that she had hand-made herself.

“The items included personal and joint property items,” Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Pedau Grabbe said.

The court heard the woman found out the man had sold the items because she saw them advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace by the person who bought them from the garage sale.

It also heard the man’s offending included him contacting the woman through other people, which he was prohibited from doing.

Gladstone Courthouse.

During some of his contact with the woman, he told her that he “did not care about the domestic violence order”, and accused her of lying to him and “hiding” financial information from him.

The woman also received missed calls from the man when he was not allowed to contact her, as well as text messages, Snapchat messages and emails.

Snr Const Grabbe said the man had sent the woman a video of him throwing some of her belongings in the bin.

The prosecutor said the man had shown “absolute disregard” for court orders.

In relation to the obstruct and assault police offences, the court heard these happened after police attended the man’s home to speak with him.

It was told he was “immediately hostile” with officers and he was placed under arrest for breaching a police protection notice.

He then said to them: “Well I’m not f***ing going.”

As an officer tried to restrain him, he pulled his arm away before elbowing her in the chest.

He had to be taken to the ground and put in handcuffs.

The man had a three-page criminal history which included previous domestic violence offending as well as serious drug offending.

Solicitor Stephen White tendered two references to the court for the man, including one from his employer.

Mr White said the DV offending on the man’s history was “very dated”.

In relation to past drug offending in 2014, Mr White said the man, a father, had made significant progress to now lead “a good, clean life” and he’d also held solid employment for the past decade.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan said the selling of the woman’s property in the garage sale and the video of throwing her stuff in the bin was “quite vindictive.”

She sentenced the man to four months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 18 months.

She also fined him $700 and ordered he pay $500 compensation to the assaulted police officer.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Gladstone man in trouble for selling ex-wife’s stuff at garage sale