Infatuated stalker kicks in wrong bedroom door

A terrified woman hid in her bedroom as a drunk stalker broke in, looking for a different person

A TERRIFIED woman was forced to lock herself in a bedroom when an infatuated stalker yelled out “Emma I love you. You have to let me in” as he scaled the wall of her townhouse.

An Ipswich court on Friday heard the offender had been stalking the 25-year-old woman for two weeks, even visiting her workplace.

After scaling a wall, he mistakenly broke into the residence of another woman, Ipswich Magistrates Court heard.

Police prosecutor Ricky Tsoi said Wayne Kruger claimed God told him he was to marry victim, known only as Emma.

Mt Tsoi said Kruger dropped by Emma’s office on February 6 and took her business card.

Appearing from jail via video-link, Wayne Anthony Kruger, 48, from Redbank Plains, pleaded guilty to two charges of unlawful stalking between February 6 and March 16; entering the dwelling of a woman and committing an offence; and two breaches of bail conditions.

Mr Tsoi said the stalking offence lasted one month, with the burglary at the second woman’s home occurring early February 13.

He said the woman was home alone in Redbank Plains but woke just before 5.30am when she heard a male voice yelling out “I love you Emma. You have to let me in.”

She looked out a window and saw a man she did not know walking up some stairs.

The court heard that after telling Kruger to leave, the woman heard him screaming loudly.

Mr Tsoi said the woman grabbed her cat and locked herself in the room, but saw him outside scaling a wall onto a balcony.

The woman heard multiple loud bangs and realised Kruger was inside her home.

Kruger began banging on the door of the room the woman was taking refuge in, calling out: “Where’s Emma. I love you. Let me in”.

Mr Tsoi said Kruger then kicked in the door, only to realise the woman was not the one he was seeking.

The court was told Kruger searched the house for Emma, then ran out into the street where police arrested him.

Defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough said it was as serious matter, with Kruger drinking at the time.

He said the medical report suggested Kruger may suffer a “dissociative disorder” with a history of mental health issues.

“Obviously he was not functioning rationally at the time. His conduct is indicative of that,” Mr Fairclough said.

Magistrate Tracy Mossop said there was no clear conclusion in the medical report about his condition, in what was quite bizarre behaviour.

“He says the purpose (of what he did) was that he was in love with a person Emma, and God says he was going to marry her,” Mr Fairclough said.

Ms Mossop said Kruger had already spent 159 days held in jail.

Kruger was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month jail term for stalking, with a concurrent 18-month jail term for the burglary, along with three months jail for the bail breaches.

He was given immediate release on parole, and banned from having any contact with the victim.

Originally published as