Stalker’s 400 calls

Man threatened business

A TOWNSVILLE business endured more than 400 threatening phone calls from a man who did not have a rational reason to call.

Ricky Scott Dearness, 43, called Rowan’s Body Works in Currajong 455 times from September 4 to October 14 last year.

The Townsville District Court heard on September 30, Dearness called the business 422 times.

He told the secretary, “I am going to come and burn your business down, you are all a bunch of thieving dogs”.

Police executed a search warrant at Dearness’s address at 2pm that afternoon where he denied owning the phone or SIM card.

Prosecuting for the crown, Siobhan Harrison told Judge Vicki Loury Dearness called the business back and said, “well that didn’t work … I’ll see you tonight you mob of f---wits”.

Ms Harrison said two weeks later Dearness called the business 28 times in the space of 3½ hours.

Eighteen months earlier, in Gulliver on May 1, 2018, the court heard Dearness assaulted his partner’s neighbour, who was an employee at Rowan’s Body Works.

The court heard Dearness ambushed the 76-year-old man as he moved his car at 3.45am, pushing a gate into him and causing him to fall over.

Police arrested Dearness six days later. He was released on bail with strict conditions not to contact the man.

The court heard on a later occasion Dearness followed the man while driving and when he stopped he punched the passenger window and broke the side mirror.

Dearness pleaded guilty to 11 charges including three counts of unlawful stalking threatening violence.

The court heard Dearness had previous convictions for assault and harassment.

Defence barrister Michael Hibble told Judge Loury he did not have an excuse for his client’s behaviour.

Judge Loury told Dearness his crimes were “distressing”, “persistent” and “completely irrational” and urged him to see a GP when he was released.

After declaring the 402 days spent in custody as time already served, Judge Loury sentenced Dearness to three years’ jail with immediate parole.