‘Months of torment’ by former partner

The man is facing 64 charges including stalking, 62 counts of contravening a family violence intervention order and persistently contravening a family violence intervention order.

The man had previously been in a relationship with his victim for about nine years.

Detective Acting Sergeant Lance Wiltshire told the court the man allegedly slapped the woman in the face, choked her and banged her head against a door and the washing machine because he was jealous of her talking to the gardener in their front yard on January 27.

Later that night he had a fight with the woman’s father at his home, the court heard, after he drove there in an attempt to locate her.

The next day he again went to the woman’s parents’ house looking for her, the court heard, before driving around Shepparton looking for her.

Det Act Sgt Wiltshire told the court about a series of texts and phone calls the man made to the woman between January and August, including ones where he told her she was not allowed to go out drinking, and another where he told her to visit him so they could have sex — which she declined.

He also sent her 10 naked photos of herself that had been taken consensually when they were in a relationship and threatened to “show them to the world” if she reported him to police for breaching the intervention order, Det Act Sgt Wiltshire said.

In a phone call to his brother, the man said the woman should understand he was a jealous person and should “modify her behaviour so that he does not become angry”, Det Act Sgt Wiltshire said.

Under questioning from the defence, Det Act Sgt Wiltshire said many of the phone calls were made from a phone registered to an associate of the man, but that police believed they were all sent by the accused.

The man’s defence solicitor, Luke Slater, argued his client should be bailed, saying he had a place to live in Melbourne with family and a job, and that strict bail conditions could reduce the risk of further offending.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski said it felt like the man had a “proprietal interest” in his former partner, with the man saying that if she reported him to police for breaching the intervention order he would put naked photos of her on the internet.

“Then there were months of threatening behaviour, (including) trying to find her,” Mr Zebrowski said.

In denying bail, Mr Zebrowski said he was “not sure he’s (the man’s) not a risk to this woman”.

“I think your client needs to know this sort of behaviour was acceptable in 1955, but it’s now 2024 and it’s not,” he said.

“She can’t have a relationship with anyone else. He says she belongs to him.

“Maybe someone never pointed out to him in his life that it’s not acceptable.”

Mr Zebrowski described the alleged offending as “months of torment”.

“She’s trying to get away and he keeps contacting her,” he said.

“It’s not to his credit he’s shown an obsession to locate her.

“He’s stopped at nothing to locate her.

“And then in the phone call (to his brother) he has said she should modify her behaviour to make sure he is not angry.

“The summary is a litany of red flags.

“She’s living somewhere in secret.

“His attitude is alarming.”

Mr Zebrowski said the man had four prior breaches of an intervention order and one prior for committing an offence while on bail.

He also said he had a prior history “that suggests he’s a violent person”.