Expartner subject of repeated abuse
A MAN who stalked his former partner, even while she was on holiday overseas, has been ordered to undergo psychological treatment.
Joshua William Moffatt (38) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday having pleaded guilty to four charges of intimidation, two of misusing a telephone, one of theft and one of breaching a homedetention sentence.
The defendant, now living in Alexandra, had just ended a threemonth relationship with the mother of two in March.
Neither the brevity of their association nor the fact he was on home detention was enough to stop the 11day slew of crimes which ensued.
It began on March 7 when Moffatt turned up at the victim’s home and tried to speak to her.
She refused to engage but he returned shortly after, as she was getting into a taxi with her son.
Moffatt struck the windows of the vehicle while yelling obscenities at the woman.
The pair clashed again a week later when the victim went to visit the defendant in response to messages he had sent her.
Moffatt made threatening comments to his expartner and stole her cellphone from her handbag.
The next morning, he went to the victim’s home again, and again hurled a barrage of abuse her way.
Moffatt soon left but the reprieve was brief.
He stood outside the house shouting: ‘‘I will break in and get you, bitch.’’
Later in the day, it happened again.
Moffatt called for the woman to come out of the house and when that did not yield any results, he reverted to verbal abuse.
‘‘I’ll beat your ears black and blue because you don’t listen,’’ he yelled.
Unable to confront the victim physically, Moffatt turned to electronic means.
In a sevenhour period on March 16, he made at least 17 phone calls to the victim and sent 87 text messages.
Even the woman’s departure on a holiday to Rarotonga did not stem his efforts to get at her.
Moffatt called the resort at which she was staying more than five times and bombarded the victim with messages through Facebook.
She returned to find 111 in her inbox, many of which were laden with expletives.
Counsel John Westgate accepted his client had a chequered history featuring several stints behind bars but suggested he was now settling down.
Moffatt, the court heard, had a job, stable accommodation in Central Otago and was keen to undertake counselling.
Judge Michael Crosbie noted the defendant was deemed a high risk of reoffending but agreed there were positive signs about him changing his ways.
Moffatt spent nearly five months in custody on remand.
He was sentenced to 15 months’ intensive supervision and 80 hours’ community work.
A protection order was granted in favour of the victim.