Serial stalker behind bars
Man targeted women and ex-AFL star
A FOOTY thug who once stalked AFL champion David Schwarz has been jailed after relentlessly targeting women on internet dating sites.
Serial stalker Steven Robert Elworthy, 45, was given a chance to avoid prison on a community-based order in June last year for stalking offences against three victims.
But days later he breached it — by stalking one of the women again.
County Court Judge Gavan Meredith sentenced Elworthy to just over two years behind bars on Tuesday.
Judge Meredith told Elworthy that he had to protect the community from him.
“I told you that if you breached the orders, you would be back before me,” Judge Meredith said, referring to when he sentenced him to a Community Corrections Order on June 13 last year.
“I indicated to you that the effect of what I had done was to give you the keys to your own cell door and you needed to understand if there was further offending you were at grave risk of receiving a substantial prison term. Ultimately you continued to offend.”
The court heard he bombarded his three victims with messages — all whom he had met on an online dating website — after their relationships had ended.
He would often sign off his messages “D N T”, referring to the names, Des and Troy, he called his biceps while they were dating.
In the six months to January 2018, he repeatedly emailed, texted and called one of his victims, even attending uninvited at her home and workplace. One woman, in a victim impact statement, revealed how she lived in constant fear.
On his release on the CCO, the court heard Elworthy contacted one of his victims again.
He pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and three counts of breaching courtbased orders.
Judge Meredith said Elworthy had a “significant prior history” which included 11 stalking convictions, and other related offences including using a carriage service to harass. He has served jail before, but also received suspended sentences and communitybased orders.
Early last year he was jailed for 45 days over an assault on Richmond cheer squad leader Brett Beattie, spitting and gouging his face during a game in August 2017.
In 2012, he was also jailed for stalking Schwarz, a former Melbourne Football Club player, repeatedly pestering him with calls on his mobile phone.