By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN has pleaded guilty to stalking a Berwick woman by allegedly placing a GPS tracking device on her car and posting a picture of a sheep’s head in a bucket on her Facebook page.
Todd William Parker, of Tynong, had been slapped with a personal safety intervention order for allegedly threatening to kill the victim’s dog, setting items on fire outside her house and following her car.
She had described Parker as being obsessed with her, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard on 18 April.
She was particularly worried because he worked in the same shopping centre.
Five days after being served with the order, Parker rode within a group of three noisy motorcycles outside the victim’s address on 23 January, the court heard.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Glenn Horman told the court that on 1 February Parker posted several messages on the victim’s Facebook page in February with pictures such as a man holding a gun with the words “Go ahead. My life sucks anyway.”
Another showed the sheep’s head in a bucket.
Parker allegedly later told police that he’d written “to get in contact and tell her to f*** off”.
In March, Parker allegedly left derogatory comments under photos of the victim posted on Narre Warren nightclub Empire’s Facebook page.
Parker volunteered to police that he’d placed – and had not since removed – a $1000 GPS tracker on the victim’s car in November.
He said he had not tracked the woman for a while. The device was hidden in a spot that she could not find, he allegedly said.
In her statements, the victim describes Parker as simply a former friend.
Defence lawyer Adrian Dessi said the pair had been intimate on several occasions but “nothing formalised as a boyfriend-girlfriend”.
Mr Dessi said Parker composed the “juvenile” and “petty” Facebook messages while upset and drunk late at night.
The accused was working five times a week, just starting a treatment regime and complying with all supervisory appointments on a community order, Mr Dessi said.
He’d been put on the 18-month order in December as a result of “serious” charges – which related to an intervention order protecting his parents.
Parker had since reconciled with his parents and the intensity of his offending had reduced, Mr Dessi said.
“He is finding his feet again after a period of drug use and erratic behaviour.
“It has had an unsavoury impact on the victim, but is not as bad as the offending (against his parents) last year.”
Leading Sen Const Horman said Parker had received a good-behaviour bond for similar offending against another woman in 2013.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said he needed a Forensicare psychiatrist report on how to ensure Parker doesn’t re-offend.
“I’m trying to assess his risk of re-offending and what’s motivating him to do this.
“I have to agree (with the victim) – he does seem obsessed with her.”
Mr Vandersteen refused to grant bail to Parker because his ongoing stalking had not halted under the corrections order.
Parker was refused bail and remanded in custody to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court
