Named: Stalkers sentenced in Rockhampton and Gladstone courts

Meet the offenders sentenced in Rockhampton and Gladstone courts for stalking offences in the past two-and-a-half years. FULL LIST

The terrifying stalking offences committed by ex-partners, strangers, former mining supervisors and even a teacher’s aide have been exposed in Central Queensland courts.

The terrifying stalking offences committed by ex-partners, strangers, former mining supervisors and even a teacher’s aide have been exposed in Central Queensland courts.

According to the Queensland Criminal Code, a person who commits unlawful stalking is liable to a maximum penalty of five years prison.

Meet 10 offenders sentenced in Rockhampton and Gladstone courts for stalking in the past two-and-a-half years.

CONVICTIONS RECORDED

CATHERINE JANE WEY, 31

Catherine Jane Wey.

Used Facebook to send harassing messages to nurse

Catherine Jane Wey sent abusive messages and made offensive posts on social media about a nurse she hardly knew.

For her crimes she faced Rockhampton Magistrates Court for using Facebook to send a number of harassing messages to the victim on October 11 last year.

She also made a number of harassing posts on the social media platform, believing she had been treated by the nurse.

Police prosecutor Brendon Selic told the court Wey had only met the victim twice and the pair were “not well known to each other”.

Mr Selic told the court the victim became fearful for the safety of herself and her family, and did not want to leave her home.

Magistrate Cameron Press sentenced her to nine months imprisonment with 140 days of presentence custody declared as time already served.

Wey was granted an immediate parole release and was also ordered to undertake 18 months of probation for the stalking offence.

Convictions were recorded.

FULL STORY

ANDREW STEPHEN LEA COOME, 39

Andrew Stephen Lea Coome.

Called woman 238 times with his phone “on private”

Andrew Stephen Lea Coome stalked a woman he was not allowed to have any contact with for a month after they had reconnected for casual sex.

This was the second time Coome had been sentenced in the District Court for stalking the woman – the first being in February, 2022.

The District Court at Rockhampton heard Coome’s offending happened between April and May last year while he was on parole for the previous stalking.

The court heard that on April 6, 2023, the woman made it “abundantly clear” that she didn’t want anything to do with Coome.

But Coome continued to send her messages – showing his jealousy, accusing her of sleeping with other people, asking why she had blocked him, and telling her that he “missed her”.

The court heard during the one-month period, Coome called the woman 238 times with his phone “on private” – the majority of these calls were not answered by her.

On May 5, Coome saw the woman at a local cafe and started to walk towards her.

Coome pleaded guilty on August 9 to stalking (domestic violence offence).

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced Coome to Two-and-a-half years’ jail, declared 288 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and set immediate parole eligibility.

FULL STORY

MACLAINE ANDREW ANDERSON, 28

Maclaine Andrew Anderson.

724 phone calls over 19 days from an unlisted number

Maclaine Andrew Anderson stalked his ex-partner between May and June this year after their three-and-a-half year relationship ended.

The District Court in Gladstone heard the stalking started when a jealous Anderson confronted the woman and accused her of sleeping with other men.

Over 19 days, the boilermaker phoned her 724 times – from an unlisted number and via Facebook Messenger.

Anderson also sent her abusive text messages and told her that he was going to take his own life.

Anderson’s stalking escalated when he turned up to the woman’s home numerous times.

The court heard the woman was scared of Anderson, was “terrified” to provide a victim impact statement and had not done so.

Anderson pleaded guilty on June 17 to stalking (domestic violence offence).

Judge Jeff Clarke declared 23 days’ pre-sentence custody as time served and placed Anderson on probation for Two-and-a-half years.

FULL STORY

REECE GEOFF WARD, 31

Reece Geoff Ward.

3000 text messages, 192 phone calls

Reece Geoff Ward, a Tinder stalker, bombarded his fourth domestic violence victim with more than 3000 text messages and 192 phone calls over a short period.

Ward met the latest female victim on Tinder and they had a short relationship.

Within a few weeks, Ward’s controlling behaviour and need to intimidate the woman was quite evident, the District Court at Gladstone heard.

The woman ended the relationship and asked the former mining supervisor more than 60 times to stop contacting her.

But Ward bombarded her with text messages, phone calls, and messages – including some which he sent via a “bogus” social media account he set up.

Ward tried to rekindle the relationship and professed his love for the woman.

During more than 3000 text messages, Ward displayed “considerable jealously” even though he’d only known the woman for a short time.

He also phoned her 192 times over a period of about six weeks.

He turned up uninvited at her workplace and also at her house when she did not return calls and messages.

Ward threatened the woman to her face when she returned home from shopping – she tried to go to the police station to report the offending, but Ward followed her.

In one message, Ward told the woman he was so angry he “wanted to kill some c---” and on the same day, he left her a voice message saying he was going to kick her door in and “stab the occupants to death.”

Ward pleaded guilty on July 10 to stalking (domestic violence offence).

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced Ward to three years and six months’ jail, declared 208 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and set parole eligibility at April 9, 2025.

FULL STORY

WILLIAM JAMES STONIER, 58

He wore a balaclava, grabbed at both her arms

William James Stonier stalked his wife of 36 years for seven months after she left him following years of his drunken and abusive behaviour.

Stonier started his stalking behaviour on the victim’s birthday when he called her and wished her a happy birthday and days later, he tried to flag her down, which she ignored.

During February, Stonier had flowers delivered to the victim’s workplace and a coffee cup with a wedding band alongside the flowers.

He took photographs of her picking up the flower delivery.

Stonier also surprised her while she was unpacking groceries in the dining room by walking out from her bedroom and saying her name.

Four months later, after the victim’s lawyer sent Stonier a letter about divorce proceedings, Stonier ambushed the victim, jumping out from behind a parked car, after she arrived home from work.

He wore a balaclava in an attempt to disguise his identity but she recognised him by his physical appearance and the shorts he was wearing. Stonier grabbed at both her arms but she used one of hers to block his.

She saw he held a tie down strap in a figure eight and she screamed.

Stonier covered her mouth but she kept screaming as he pushed her backwards into a piece of wood, causing her to fall to the ground.

She continued screaming as she crouched on the ground and Stonier ran away.

Stonier pleaded guilty to the stalking and common assault charges in the District Court at Rockhampton and was sentenced by Judge Jeff Clarke to three years prison, declared 278 days presentence custody as time served and set parole release for August 26, 2024.

FULL STORY

David Hugh Gardner.

DAVID HUGH GARDNER

“I’d like to ride you both”

David Hugh Gardner stalked a woman at a Central Queensland fuel station after saying sexually inappropriate things to her.

Gladstone Magistrates Court heard that on July 28, 2022, Gardner was at the then Puma Service Station at Calliope when he targeted a 53-year-old female driver.

Police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd said the woman had her window down and Gardner said to her: “It’s a beautiful car and you’re not bad for someone your age, I’d like to ride you both.”

Mr Boyd said the woman became scared and Gardner continued to say sexually inappropriate things to her before he got in his car, “did a loop” and parked it next to hers.

The prosecutor said the woman called her husband and kept him on the phone while she drove home to Gladstone because she feared Gardner would follow her.

Mr Boyd said the woman was “quite intimidated in the whole ordeal.”

Gardner pleaded guilty on March 19 to unlawful stalking.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Gardner $800 and a conviction was recorded.

FULL STORY

NICOLE KRISTEEN MCCLYMONT, 34

Nicole Kristeen McClymont.

2900 phone calls, 85 emails and 44 calls to work

Nicole Kristeen McClymont made 2900 calls to her former Central Queensland boyfriend over a two-and-a-half month period.

Crown prosecutor Maryam Yousufzai said McClymont carried out a prolonged period of stalking in Biloela between February 28, 2021 and May 15, 2021, harassing victim Alan Grimshaw in front of colleagues and customers, along with violating the sanctuary of his home by entering the house using a key after he had changed the locks.

Ms Yousufzai said the victim had to change his lifestyle, put a lock on his bedroom door and install CCTV at his home because of McClymont’s persistent harassment.

McClymont also sent the victim 85 emails, called his workplace 44 times, rocked up to his house 10 times uninvited, and attended his workplace four times where she stormed into his office and yelled at him about their relationship in front of co-workers and customers.

Ms Yousufzai said Mr Grimshaw had his work colleagues answer the work phone for him, fearing it was McClymont calling.

McClymont was sentenced in the District Court at Rockhampton on August 23, 2022 after pleading guilty on May 24, 2022 to one count each of stalking and burglary.

Judge Katherine McGinness sentenced her to 18-months prison, wholly suspended and operational for two years.

Judge McGinness also placed McClymont on a two-year probation order with a special condition that she undertake any psychological or psychiatric treatment as directed.

FULL STORY

NATHAN JOHN DODD, 37

Former teacher aid stood behind bushes and cars

Dodd stalked a woman and her 10-year-old daughter for three days in Rockhampton.

After being followed from Allenstown shopping centre on the third day, the woman and child continued walking past their residence in fear of Dodd, a former teacher’s aide at Mount Morgan Primary School, who had been hiding behind bushes and cars.

The woman called her sister to pick her and the child up with the sister confronting Dodd and taking photographs of him.

Dodd pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to two counts of stalking, one of indecent act in a public place and one of public nuisance.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale sentenced Dodd to 12-months’ prison, activated the suspended sentence with it to be served concurrently, declared 37 days pre-sentence custody as time served, and set parole eligibility as of April 8.

FULL STORY

KYLE ALAN MORRIS, 28

Kyle Alan Morris.

“I’ll burn this house down with you in it”

Morris stalked a former partner and friend of 15 years between June 4 and November 10, 2021, at Rockhampton.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said this was a protracted stalking.

“The most serious aspect of it would be that the defendant, once he was told that the police were going to be called, he stated ‘Yeah. And I’ll kill you. I’ll burn this house down with you in it”,” Ms Butler said.

“Following that, when he was in the watch-house, police searched his vehicle and a jerry can was located inside.

“That certainly makes this an aggravating stalking and that is of particular concern.”

Morris pleaded guilty on April 4, 2022 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of stalking.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale sentenced Morris to 15 months’ prison, declared 146 days pre-sentence custody and gave him immediate parole release.

FULL STORY

CONVICTIONS NOT RECORDED

ROBIN GEORGE MARTIN, 54

Robin George Martin.

Followed woman from shopping centre in his car

Martin stalked a woman from her home to a shopping centre in his car, recording himself yelling at her and threatening to kill her.

Police prosecutor Brendon Selic said that on December 5, 2022 Martin drove the woman to her home in South Rockhampton and followed her in his car at a slow pace when she began walking toward nearby Allenstown Square.

Mr Selic said Martin, who worked in the mining industry at Blackwater, recorded the interaction on his mobile phone and yelled out to the victim, “Why won’t you get in the car? Why won’t you talk?”

Martin also threatened to kill the victim, the court was told.

The woman entered Allenstown Square and Martin parked his car and followed her inside.

Mr Selic said Martin confronted the woman about ignoring him.

He said Martin continued to verbally harass the victim in a loud voice as she walked out of the shopping centre, at one point stepping in front of her and causing her to run into him.

The woman turned back into Allenstown Square and again Martin followed her back into the shopping centre and continued to harass her.

Martin pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on March 27, 2023 to one count of unlawful stalking.

He was ordered to probation for 12 months and no conviction was recorded.

FULL STORY

Originally published as Named: Stalkers sentenced in Rockhampton and Gladstone courts