A WARRNAMBOOL magistrate has told a man who stalked another man in a car that he is not living in the wild west.
Timothy Church, 19, of Dixie Road, Terang, yesterday pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to driving in a dangerous manner.
The court heard that on May 15 about 7.30pm Church was in Terang with two other men when they heard the victim was in Timboon.
Church drove the two men to Timboon and they parked in the Timboon Railway Shed Distillery car park.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Nathan Brown said one of the men then walked over to the victim’s car which was near the disabled toilets and the victim drove off.
Church and the two men then followed the victim and almost hit the back of his car at an intersection.
The victim told police the car was so close he was unable to see the headlights.
The victim called triple-0 and continued to try to lose Church and the two men and headed out on the Great Ocean Road towards Peterborough.
Police then intercepted Church’s car and spoke to all involved.
Senior Constable Brown said Church and the two men had an issue with the victim who had recently been placed on an intervention order.
The court heard Church is a mechanic in Terang with a young family.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said it was not entirely clear why Church behaved in the appalling way which he did.
He said Church was not a policeman nor was he required to take the victim to task. He said if Church had an issue with the victim he should have behaved in a civil manner.
“You’re not entitled to chase him down, to follow him or to beat him up with your dopey mates,” he said.
“You’re not living in the wild west. You’re not living in some video game or movie.”
Church was disqualified from driving for six months and convicted and fined $1000.