Kory Wayne Nicholson faces Gladstone court for stalking

A former gang associate turned tradie who couldn’t handle being dumped by his girlfriend, stalked her in a “protracted and continued” fashion, a Central Queensland court has heard.

A man has been sentenced in the District Court at Gladstone for offences including stalking. Generic Picture: iStock

An imposing domestic violence thug, with former links to the Mongrel Mob street gang, stalked his ex-girlfriend, accusing her of sleeping with other people, inundating her with texts and keeping watch at her work.

Kory Wayne Nicholson’s “protracted and continued” stalking with “intentionally directed surveillance” was detailed in Gladstone District Court which heard the repeat offender's latest crimes happened when his then 23-year-old victim became “fed up” with his violence called their relationship “off”.

The court heard the pair had an argument and the victim, who was in court for the sentencing, went out drinking that night.

The woman returned to her place about 2.30am the next morning to find 31-year-old Nicholson, on the front patio.

He followed her into her home and demanded to know who had dropped her off.

Nicholson took the woman’s phone and demanded she give him the passcode so he could find out who she had been communicating with.

When the woman refused, Nicholson smashed her phone.

He then took her car keys and she locked him outside.

About 6.30am, Nicholson returned and came into the woman’s home and woke her up.

When she told him to leave, Nicholson went through the woman’s bag and after finding condoms in it, snapped two of her bank cards in half.

He accused the woman of sleeping with other men and she directly told him that was none of his business and he should not be at her home.

In addition to that offending, Nicholson went to the woman’s workplace and “watched her.”

“And I note that you’re an incredibly large human being – so it would have been a particularly concerning thing for her (victim), for you to do that,” Judge Jeff Clarke told the court

Nicholson had also called the woman 54 times and sent her 51 texts over a period of days, and he “persisted with that” even though she did not respond.

“It made her feel intimidated and uncomfortable and precisely, effectively what you were trying to achieve given your status as being a perpetrator of domestic violence,” Judge Clarke said.

“There’s nothing heroic at all in your actions – your behaviour is, quite frankly, disgusting.”

Gladstone Courthouse.

The domestic violence offences to which Nicholson pleaded guilty to in June were unlawful stalking, two counts of burglary and wilful damage, and stealing.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing a restricted medicine (Viagra) and contravening an order in relation to accessing information stored electronically.

The court heard Nicholson’s offending happened in late 2022.

It was told that on Nicholson’s criminal history were “many convictions” for drug and violence offences (including DV offending) and at the time of committing these offences, he was on parole.

The court heard also Nicholson previously had “anti-social associations” with The Mongrel Mob – a New Zealand-based street gang.

Barrister Maree Willey said Nicholson had grown up in New Zealand and he moved to Australia permanently in about 2011 but he was not an Australian citizen.

She said her client, a father, was a victim of domestic violence during his own childhood, and he hoped to gain employment in the construction or mining industries.

“He worked on Curtis Island as a scaffolder for about two-and-a-half years,” Ms Willey said.

“He also worked in Western Australia for Rio Tinto as a rigger and crane operator.”

Judge Clarke sentenced Nicholson to two years’ jail and set a parole eligibility date of December 14, 2023.

Originally published as Kory Wayne Nicholson faces Gladstone court for stalking