Builder Josh Robert Mills guilty of stalking, DV terror as new alleged victim emerges

A “jealous and controlling” Toowoomba business owner, whose sinister offending included chasing his ex-partner until she crashed her vehicle, has been sentenced but he’s now facing new charges relating to allegedly stalking a second woman on the Gold Coast.

Toowoomba construction business owner, Joshua Robert Mills.

JanN Construction owner Joshua Robert Mills has been released from prison after pleading guilty to deplorable domestic violence crimes, some of which were committed in breach of a protection order.

The Toowoomba father and builder pleaded guilty to a number of domestic violence crimes before Toowoomba District Court on Monday, May 19, which included stalking, recording in breach of privacy, dangerous operation of a car, strangulation, and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The 34-year-old spent about one year and three months on remand for the charges, however was released on bail in the community.

However, a week before Mills’ sentence he was arrested on fresh charges.

Crown prosecutor Peri Cardiff said the first offence in time occurred in December 2021, where he threw a woman to the ground before pinning her to ground with his knee to her chest.

Ms Cardiff said the woman fought back as Mills began to strangle her, and she thought she was going to be killed.

Mills’ second violent outburst occurred over an argument about whether or not the woman had made breakfast.

JanN Construction owner Josh Robert Mills.

Ms Cardiff said he dragged the woman by her hair and slammed her head into a fridge.

After the relationship ended the abuse continued, with the woman’s victim impact statement stating Mills began stalking her and hiding tracking devices in her car.

He often begged for the woman to stay with him, sending flowers with long cards.

In November 2022, Ms Cardiff said a controlling and jealous Mills, who sent barrages of threatening and abusive messages to the woman, often demanding to know her whereabouts as well as photographic proof.

In March 2023, Mills followed the woman in his car through Highfields, speeding and running red lights, while the woman begged for help from a triple-0 call taker.

“If I stop he will kill me,” the woman said.

Ms Cardiff told the court that as the woman approached the Highfields Police Station Mills grazed the woman’s car, forcing her to crash, but she quickly regained control of the car.

Too scared to stop, Mills and the woman then did laps of the station’s carpark until officers noticed on CCTV and came out to investigate.

Barrister Daniel Boddice, represented by Bouchier Khan Lawyers, said Mills’ conduct was vile, however his culpability was reduced by mental health issues, noting his disadvantaged and traumatic upbringing.

Judge Craig Chowdhury sentenced Mills to a two year and seven month jail term, and declared some of the days he spent in custody (325 days), and disqualified his licence for nine months.

Judge Chowdhury noted the victim’s wishes to extend her protection order by one year, however said she could exercise her right to do so before the lower courts.

If she does, Mills can fight the order.

District Court New Judge Craig Chowdhury. Picture: File

Mills was released on parole, however the court was told he was recently arrested on unrelated domestic violence charges.

Mills fronted Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday, May 21, to apply for bail on those alleged crimes.

His charges included, spiking a drink with THC oil (the psychoactive component in cannabis), unlawful stalking, and making observations and recordings in breach of privacy.

Police allege they were committed against a Gold Coast woman unrelated to his ex-partner in the Toowoomba matter.

They further allege the more recent stalking involved, in part, a similar modus operandi to the Toowoomba matter, involving, for instance, the installation of tracking devices.

The newly charged conduct is said to have commenced just days after he was released on Supreme Court bail last February, and which led to his return to custody on remand four months later on June 4.

Magistrate Louisa Pink said she held concerns he would lapse into the same alleged behaviour as last time if he was released back into the community.

However, taking into account the time he’d already spent in custody, she resolved to grant him bail but imposed a suite of stringent new conditions.

They included a total social media ban, that he only possesses one mobile phone whose passcode is supplied to police, and that he reports the names and contact details of all women he is in regular contact with to police.

The court was told he would be reporting to Acacia Ridge Police Station upon his release on bail and will also be subject to parole following the Toowoomba sentence.

His new charges will next be mentioned on June 26.