Photo: Graham Tidy
A man who sent threatening text messages warning his ex-wife and her brother that he had a gun and was now “unstoppable” has avoided further jail time.
The 32-year-old man faced sentencing for a string of offences in the ACT Magistrates Court today.
The defendant, who has five children with his ex-wife, sent text messages to her brother, warning him he was “going to get” his estranged partner, and that he would be next.
He warned them he had a gun, and was “unstoppable now with what I have in my hands, bang”.
The man also threw a brick through the family’s window and left a voice message in 2011 telling his ex-wife she wasn’t disciplining their kids properly, and warning her to “watch your back”.
The court heard the man gave his ex-wife $50 per week for child support for their five children.
It heard he was now the main breadwinner for his new partner and their five children.
Magistrate David Mossop spared the man further jail time this afternoon, saying he had suspended his sentences to take into account the 66 days he’d already served in prison.
He was ordered to comply with a good behaviour order for 12 months.
The court heard that the man had already been given a number of opportunities to turn his life around.
The defendant had shown a “complete failure” to comply with court orders, and Mr Mossop said the man’s impulsive tendencies must be curbed if he was to avoid reoffending.
Mr Mossop warned the defendant he had purposefully structured his suspended sentences to make a prison term easier to hand down if there were any future breaches of the protection order.
