Kids’ sports coach steals ex-wife’s car, sends harassing, taunting messages
The Granite Belt man claimed his ‘childish’ actions were attempts to intimidate his wife following disagreements over his daughter’s care.
Police & Courts
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A kids’ sports coach who verbally harassed his ex-wife and stole and tampered with her car told police he did it to be “an arsehole”.
Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told the Stanthorpe Magistrates Court the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, removed a fuse from his ex-wife’s car while the pair were at court on February 9.
Sergeant de Lissa said the man tampered with the car so his ex-wife wouldn’t be able to start it.
Days later on February 12 and 14, the man drove away in his ex-wife’s car using his spare key and told her “if you want to use the vehicle you have to buy it from me”.
Sergeant de Lissa said the man told police he did it “just to be an arsehole”.
In retaliation to a disagreement with court proceedings and around the welfare of his child, the man sent a number of aggressive text messages to his ex-wife on March 16.
The text messages included offensive language, including statements like, “Listen you stupid f---”.
Sergeant de Lissa said the man told police he didn’t believe swearing contravened the domestic violence order.
Defence lawyer Michael Catanzaro said his client drove the car as he was concerned it would be driven without a valid registration.
“When he saw the vehicle (my client) took the immediate opportunity to use his keys to take it as he believed that if (the car) was in a public place and he owns it and has the keys he could drive it,” he said.
Mr Catanzaro added that his client’s actions were “childish and stupid” and intended to cause his ex-wife “significant annoyance”.
Magistrate Julian Noud said the man acted in an intimidating and harassing way to cause harm to his ex-wife.
The Granite Belt man pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening a domestic violence order.
The man wan fined $600 and no conviction was recorded.
Originally published as Kids’ sports coach steals ex-wife’s car, sends harassing, taunting messages
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