Geelong stalkers revealed as statistics soar across region
More Geelong residents than ever are being caught stalking, with the region recording a staggering increase in just the last 12 months alone. Here are some of Geelong’s worst stalkers.
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The number of Geelong stalkers has soared in the last 12 months with offenders making frightening threats, false police allegations and breaking into the homes of their victims, new crime data has revealed.
Geelong residents charged with non-family violence related stalking offences increased a staggering 62 per cent in the 12 months ending September 2022, according to the Crime Statistics Victoria data.
In both 2021 and 2019, the Greater Geelong region recorded 29 non-family violence related stalking, compared to 2022’s 47 offenders.
This was higher again for family-violence related stalking, with 52 offenders convicted on the charge in the 2022 reporting period.
However, family violence related stalking has decreased in the last three years, dropping from the 78 offenders convicted in 2020.
Geelong Family Violence Investigation Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Nicholas Uebergang said a dedicated team was working every day to prevent and detect stalking “whether there is a familial relationship or not”.
“Stalking also often occurs online and it is incredibly rare for a person to be physically stalked by someone they don’t know.
“Geelong police proactively encourage all victims of stalking to report to police so we can follow up quickly,” Sergeant Uebergang said.
Sergeant Uebergang said multiple offences could be recorded against an offender when they “repeatedly stalked” one victim, which could account for the new increase.
He added it was a “positive indicator” if more people are reporting stalking “as it shows there is greater confidence to report to police”.
In sentencing Moolap man Kevin Braunton for the “cruel persistent” stalking of a woman for over a year, Geelong-based Magistrate Franz Holzer said he “suspected it would have been torturous for her”.
The court heard Braunton sent the woman numerous emails that appeared to be from brothels, pornography sites and escort services before showing up at her home after she ended their relationship.
“You degraded this individual in pursuit of what? Revenge?” Mr Holzer told Braunton before handing him a prison sentence.
According Sentencing Council of Victoria, prison was the most likely punishment, with almost half of offenders sentenced in Victoria between July 2018 and June 2021.
About 36 per cent were given less than three months imprisonment, followed by 27.9 per cent of offenders who were locked up for between three and six months during the same period.
This was followed by a community corrections order at 28.4 per cent of offenders, a fine for 12.2 per cent, and 15.2 per cent were granted either an adjourned undertaking or had their sentencing dismissed.
Males were more likely to be convicted on stalking offences and were sent to prison more often than their female counterparts, with more women given adjourned undertakings or dismissed sentences.
Before sentencing James Leaf in the Geelong Magistrates Court for stalking his former partner, Magistrate Julia Barling said he hoped he has “really taken the message that has been sent to him by the police and the community that this behaviour is not acceptable”.
The court heard Leaf called Geelong brothel Lorraine Starr where his ex-girlfriend worked and tried booking her.
When this was refused, Leaf told the colleague he was going to “pop her off tonight. She’s dead and anyone else who’s there”.
“(It’s) absolutely disgusting and must have been terribly frightening for the people who have been involved,” Ms Barling said.
GEELONG STALKERS NAMED
KEVIN BRAUNTON
A Moolap man targeted his ex-partner with “cruel persistent” threats he was going to share intimate images with colleagues and friends before he showed up at her home with a box cutter and duct tape.
Kevin Braunton, 50, held his hands tightly over his ears as the Geelong Magistrates Court was told in November 2022 about the “malicious” stalking of his ex-partner in August and September, which included multiple threats sent from several false email addresses.
The stalking came to a terrifying end on the night of September 30 when the woman and her daughter heard noises at the front of their Curlewis home and looked up to find him tapping on the window.
The woman screamed as Braunton ran around to the unlocked rear door and let himself in, armed with a box cutter with its blade not showing, and told her to “sit on the floor, I don’t want to hurt you”.
JAMES LEAF
A Geelong man who said he would “pop off” his ex-girlfriend broke into her home and stole hair extensions and sex toys.
James Leaf, 42, faced Geelong Magistrates Court in August 2022 and pleaded guilty to assault, stalking and burglary.
In December 2021, after his ex-girlfriend blocked his number, Leaf let himself into her Newtown home and stole several items, including sex toys, her blonde hair extensions and a dress.
Earlier that month, Leaf called the ex-girlfriend’s former boss and told him to deposit her wages into his bank account, when he then threatened to keep unless she agreed to see him.
Leaf also sent the woman several threatening and abusive emails, including a video of himself brandishing a homemade slingshot that had been modified to shoot arrows.
DAVID KEENAN
The Geelong man who stalked two senior Victorian judges and accused one of being corrupt was sentenced in May 2022.
David Keenan, 55, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to stalking a County Court judge and another senior judge.
Magistrate Simon Guthrie said while the victim’s profession does not influence the sentencing, he noted that Keenan targeted a “judicial officer with power to administer duties and may be considered by many as serious”.
Between January 2022 and January 2021, Keenan sent a number of emails and letters to colleagues and neighbours of the judges.
Some of the correspondence included the personal addresses and images of the two victims.
STEVEN ANDREW
A Geelong man who recorded himself driving on a footpath in Highton and “abused” a former mate for five years with relentless posts on social media faced court in February 2022.
Steven Andrew, 51, who pleaded guilty to stalking, was behind about 350 posts on Facebook that labelled a former mate a thief, liar and a paedophile between 2017 and 2021.
Other posts referred to the victim as dishonest, a fraud and accused the victim of stealing motorcycle gear.
The Geelong Magistrates Court heard Andrews also repeatedly attended the home of a police officer.
Magistrate John Bentley told him to “stay away” from Geelong and “stay away from social media, including Facebook”.
CHRISTIE WOODYARD
An Armstrong Creek woman was sentenced in August 2021 over a “manipulative” campaign towards her former partner, including a bizarre TikTok and false allegations about him to police.
Christie Woodyard, 23, was struggling to come to terms with the break up when she stalked and tormented him over a year.
Geelong Magistrates Court heard Woodyard, who pleaded guilty to stalking, followed the man around Geelong and, at one point, aggressively confronted him at a work site in Grovedale.
She later lied to police that her ex-boyfriend had thrown her to the ground, prompting a warrant to be issued for his arrest.
The court heard Woodyard urged her friends to also lie to police and support her version of events.
MARK O’LOUGHLIN
A Norlane plumber stalked a woman to a suburb she was hiding in after subjecting her to a ruthless attack.
Mark O’Loughlin, 49, faced the Geelong Magistrates Court in August 2022 and was sentenced on charges of recklessly cause injury, assault with a weapon and stalking after a guilty finding in April.
The woman made it to a relative’s home in Gippsland but got about 5000 calls from O’Loughlin in the span of six weeks. She told police she became so frightened she took out her SIM card.
O’Loughlin tracked her down to the area and told a service station attendant he was a delivery driver who had a package to deliver to the woman but his phone had died and he didn’t have the address.
The service station attendant messaged the woman’s sister on Facebook but neither woman gave up the address.
CHAD HAMILTON
A Geelong car salesman was handed a major sentence for stalking a woman and trying to break into her home.
Chad Hamilton, 42, pleaded guilty to stalking and attempted aggravated burglary in April 2020 after sending 1200 texts and 104 calls to his victim over a two-month period.
The County Court in Geelong heard he was taken into custody in May after loitering outside the woman’s home for more than five hours and trying to climb through a bedroom window.
At the time, a young child was inside with the terrified victim.
Court documents stated the woman was too scared to call police until Hamilton tried to gain entry to the house.
JASON CAUDULLO
A Belmont man faced court accused of terrorising his Jewish neighbour with Nazi symbols and anti-Semitic remarks.
Jason Caudullo, 46, pleaded guilty to charges including stalking and criminal damage in the Geelong Magistrates Court.
He was banned from returning to his public housing after regularly harassing his neighbour over a period of months, with police prosecutor later describing the behaviour as “menacing”.
The stalking included painting swastikas on the tarp and bins which were displayed in the direction of the man’s home.
It also included slurs such as, “hey, Jew boy”.
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