Mackay stalkers named: Shane West, Sarah Ann Kiely, Joel Bloxom and Travis Leahy

From calling a former lover thousands of times to threatening a policeman in Latin, there has been a variety of stalking cases in the Mackay region. Deep dive into the mind of a stalker. SPECIAL REPORT

In the modern world, there are more ways to stalk than ever before.

From calling a former lover thousands of times to writing letter threats to a policeman in Latin, there has been a variety of cases in the Mackay region over the past 18 months.

CQUniversity lecturer Dr Brian Sullivan has worked with domestic and family violence perpetrators for many years and is especially experienced in cases where the male is the person stalking.

He said the predatory behaviour was sometimes an attempt to control and a symptom of a “paranoid sexual jealousy”.

“He is wanting to know her whereabouts at all times, he is wanting to know who she is with and how she is spending her time, in terms of having control over her,” Dr Sullivan said.

“Stalking is a way of ensuring that she is being faithful to him, that she’s not getting up to anything that he would not want and it is a way of entrapping her in his web.

“In terms of male offenders we tend not to look at these (behaviours) in isolation completely but as part of an abusive personality.”

Dr Brian Sullivan said stalking was in certain cases not the only problematic behaviour.

Dr Sullivan said in some cases, there would be other problematic behaviours associated with the act.

“Stalking will be one strategy the man uses, but there may be emotional put downs, emotional humiliation, name calling or there may be in fact physical and sexual violence included there,” he said.

He listed the stalker looking through phone, social media and computer history but also revealed the use of secret cameras and trackers has become increasingly prevalent.

“It is one thing to interrogate and question a partner, it goes to a completely different level once you start to include technology and cyberstalking,” Dr Sullivan said.

The CQUniversity lecturer said it could be difficult to identify early warning signs for a future stalker.

In a relationship dynamic, he said a partner that “love bombs” was someone to monitor.

“No one goes into a relationship suspecting or expecting that their partner is going to be a stalker and initially a man who may be an offender is going to be quite charming,” Dr Sullivan said.

“Love bombing can be an early sign which means kind of surrounding the person with himself, almost giving too much attention and too much focus on wanting to be with her at all times, every moment of the day.

“Initially, that may come across as a devoted, loving partnership but then it can become too much, where it is claustrophobic and you suddenly start to feel that you are being isolated from your friends and family.”

As for what to do once in a stalking situation, Dr Sullivan stressed the separation period can be a dangerous time and domestic violence services should be pursued.

Here are four cases of stalking in the Mackay region over the past 18 months.

Shane Lindsay West

Shane Lindsay West was infatuated with a girl almost 30 years younger than him.

He sent her multiple messages and left comments on her social media accounts despite being told to stop.

He pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to stalking, common assault and unlawful entry in April this year.

The court heard the offending occurred between July 2021 and February 2022 in Mackay.

The 50 year old went to her work and tried to force his way through the staff door when he was told she was not there.

He also followed her home, using his vehicle to block her car in place.

On another occasion, West circled her car tapping on the windows before trying to get inside her car forcing the 21 year old to flee.

West had, at the time of sentencing, been in jail on remand for about two months. He is due for release on June 6 on a 15-month probation order.

Convictions were recorded and a restraining order is now in place.

Read more here.

Sarah Ann Kiely

Sarah Ann Kiely, 38, called her former boyfriend 4720 times.

Sarah Ann Kiely was jailed for stalking a past boyfriend and later given a reduced penalty because she was not considered a high risk of reoffending was sent back to prison for harassing and threatening a different former partner.

Between September 2016 and September 2017, the Mackay mother sent more than 4800 calls and messages over text and Facebook, abusive messages threatening to ruin his new partner’s career, egged his house multiple times, damaged his car and pretended she was having pregnancy complications in a desperate bid to rekindle their relationship.

In August 2019, she pleaded guilty to unlawfully stalking her former partner and using a carriage service to menace.

While on appeal bail for stalking that former boyfriend, Kiely rang the father of her youngest daughter 315 times over three days in February 2020.

The texts were “menacing in nature” and included threats for Kiely’s former partner to “watch his back”, the involvement of the mafia and that his new partner would be “threatened and killed”.

Kiely pleaded guilty in Mackay District Court to two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass, cause offence, after the matter had been listed for trial, witnesses flown to Mackay and a jury panel called.

She was jailed for 12 months to be released on a three year good behaviour bond after serving four months.

Read more here.

Joel Michael Bloxom

Joel Michael Bloxom (left) pleaded guilty in Mackay District Court to unlawful stalking with violence against his former partner.

Joel Michael Bloxom stalked his former girlfriend after their break-up, slashing her car tyres, threatening her grandparents, sending nude photos of her and calling hundreds of times.

His victim, a Sarina woman, was so scared she felt she needed to leave the regional city.

Now the young Mackay man has a lengthy jail term hanging over his head.

Over seven days Joel Michael Bloxom rang his 19-year-old former girlfriend about 500 times from an unknown number.

Mackay District Court heard most of the calls were ignored but during the few she answered, Bloxom threatened her grandparents and her new partner.

The court heard her grandparents had to flee their home out of fear from his threats and the teen was so scared she quit her job and felt that she needed to leave Mackay as a result of his vile conduct.

The court heard he was seeing a psychiatrist and offered $3000 compensation to the victim, as well as $1295 to pay for the damage, which was his “entire savings”.

Bloxom pleaded guilty to unlawful stalking with violence between July 30 and August 6, 2021 at Sarina.

Bloxom was jailed for two and a half years with immediate parole and was ordered to pay the $4295. A conviction was recorded.

Read more here.

Travis John Leahy

Travis John Leahy pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court on April 8 to stalking, public nuisance, going armed so as to cause fear, possession of a knife in a public place, possession of weapons and drink-driving. Picture: Facebook

Travis John Leahy began stalking a Seaforth policeman after he was asked to provide proof of vaccination at the Seaforth Bowls Club.

Leahy got upset and began abusing staff, calling them derogatory names.

An elderly patron tried to intervene, but Leahy became aggressive and punched them.

He then took out a knife from his pants and lunged at the patron several times.

When a policeman later tried to take up with Leahy about the incident, he said he believed he was being unfairly targeted.

Leahy then wrote a letter to the officer in Latin on February 6, which translated to say “this page be your holy destruction or death, and I look at you and curse you and hope for your destruction or death”.

He used a bone to pin a message to the officer’s car window.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard Leahy also threw a rock into the police station with another letter reading “I’m sorry – have a safe trip to heaven” while he yelled “f--- you you stupid c--t”.

The miner left a series of phone messages on the police station’s phone.

In one of the phone messages, Leahy told the policeman he knew the officer was building a house in a remote area.

When police went to apprehend the miner later that day, they found him driving with a credit card knife, and a hatchet in the car.

He was breathalysed and returned a 0.06 blood alcohol concentration.

The court heard Leahy was arrested and had spent 51 days in custody.

He pleaded guilty on April 8 to stalking, public nuisance, going armed so as to cause fear, possessing a knife in a public place, possessing weapons and drink-driving.

A restraining order was put in place for five years, mandating Leahy have no contact with the officer and stay 200 metres away from the officer’s work or home.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan sentenced Leahy to 15 months in jail with immediate parole.

He was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Convictions were recorded.

Read more here.

Originally published as Mackay stalkers named: Shane West, Sarah Ann Kiely, Joel Bloxom and Travis Leahy