By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A NARRE Warren North man has been bailed on a $50,000 surety over allegedly persistent intervention breaches against his ex-wife.
The man, 45, had been accused of multiple breaches involving unwanted touching, making sexual advances, following and surveilling the protected partner for five months up until his arrest on 21 April, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told.
He had been in custody for the past 19 days – which had been a “wake-up call” for him, his lawyer told the court on 9 May.
The self-employed man’s business was losing $1200 a day in the meantime, the court was told.
The lawyer argued the prosecution case was weak and that the allegations were made in the background of a family law dispute.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted the man allegedly manipulated the couple’s son to follow the victim around the house and question her on his behalf.
At the same time, the man was on the other end of the son’s phone.
Mr Vandersteen warned the man not to try to “jam” the children’s heads with ideas against their mother.
It had long-term detrimental effects on children’s development, he said.
“When parents separate, if there’s not stability it impacts on (the children’s) behaviour and interaction with their friends.
“I can’t think of one child I’ve seen in the children’s court that comes from a stable home.”
The man asked the judge to help him get his eldest son back at school.
“I can’t,” Mr Vandersteen said. “Now you’re seeing what I’m talking about.”
Mr Vandersteen said the man had been convicted and fined twice over “lower end” intervention order breaches against the same victim in 2012 and 2015. The man had been the subject of five intervention orders.
Mr Vandersteen was satisfied the time in custody was a “salient” experience for the man of his age.
“You don’t appear to be a strong man at all,” Mr Vandersteen told the man.
He said he bailed the man because of his age, strong family support, good work history and ties to the jurisdication.
Bail conditions included a static address, daily reporting to police, complying with the intervention order and not contacting his ex-wife “on any basis at all”.
“You’re absolutely going to comply at the strictest level … or you’re in custody until the matter is resolved.”
The $50,000 surety was provided by the man’s father, who told the court he owned his own house.
The man next appears at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 20 May.
