Stalker’s mental check

A NAVY man who set up fake online dating profiles in his girlfriend’s name did not show ‘‘any overt symptoms of mental illness’’ according to a pyschologist.

Magistrate Kevin Priestly ordered a pre-sentence report, including a mental-health assessment of David Alan Fox after he pleaded guilty to stalking in the Cairns Magistrates Court last month.

The court had heard Fox covertly set up the accounts for his girlfriend then provided support for her when strange men started turning up at her workplace and home.

Mr Priestly was due to hand down his sentence yesterday, but the case was adjourned after the prosecution submitted a victim impact statement from Fox’s girlfriend.

The court heard Fox was hospitalised for two weeks following his first court appearance on May 10, although he still underwent mental health testing by Cairns-based psychologist Ian Ritchie.

Defence solicitor Paul Richardson said his client had faced a great deal of public scrutiny. However, police prosecutor Jessica Franco said Fox did not have a major public profile and did not hold a prominent work position in the community.

She told the court the psychologist report said he had always been a ‘‘shy person’’ who kept to himself and had forged no strong friendships in the defence force.

‘‘Mr Fox said he was pretty much like a hermit anyway,’’ she said.

Ms Franco said Fox had used navy resources as part of the stalking episode between December, 2011 and July last year, sending emails while offshore.

She said if the navy discharged him as the result of a conviction Fox was likely to relocate to Melbourne and take up work in an abattoir.

The case was adjourned for sentence later this month.