Paul Anthony Brauer faces Toowoomba Magistrates court for bugging former partner’s office

The 42-year-old man recorded his ex-partner’s private conversations without her knowledge which put him before court.

A Toowoomba man who secretly recorded his employer and former lover in her office for a WorkCover action has been fined $1000.

Paul Anthony Brauer, 42, had been in a relationship with the 45-year-old woman for six years but the relationship had ended in December 2022, Toowoomba District Court was told on Wednesday.

Brauer had then placed a listening device in her office and recorded conversations she had with an administration assistant, prosecutor Cameron Francis told the court.

He had then emailed four of those recorded conversations to a WorkCover official as part of an action he intended on taking against the business.

When the woman was played the recordings she recognised her voice and that of an employee and went to police, the court was told.

Paul Anthony Brauer leaves Toowoomba Courthouse on November 22, 2023.

Spoken to by police in January this year, Brauer made certain admissions, telling officers he had acquired the listening devices on eBay and placed them in the woman’s office to hear what was being said about him, Mr Francis said.

Brauer pleaded guilty to using a listening device to record a private conversation between November 27 and December 2, 2022, which, in the circumstances, was considered in a domestic situation.

His barrister David Jones KC said his client’s actions in recording the conversations had been to support his WorkCover action and had they been lawfully obtained they would have done just that.

As it was, though court proceedings were ongoing, Brauer had obtained more than $10,000 through the action and further payment was being considered, he said.

His client had only disclosed the recordings to WorkCover and he had since moved on and was in a new relationship, Mr Jones said.

Three references provided to the court spoke well of Brauer and supported the fact that his actions were out of character, he said.

Judge Tony Moynihan KC ordered the conviction not be recorded and fined Brauer $1000.