Robert Wheeler, 28, of Raglan Parade, Warrnambool, yesterday pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to breaching intervention orders, two charges of both stalking and causing criminal damage and single counts of threatening to inflict serious injury and affray.

He was sentenced to serve 15 months’ imprisonment with four months to be served before being eligible for parole. 

Wheeler has already spent 53 days in custody so will spend another two months in jail before being eligible for release.

Magistrate Jonathan Kle-stadt said Wheeler’s early life involved disadvantage and unhappiness mainly at the hands of his alcoholic and abusive father.

Mr Klestadt said Wheeler had significant prior convictions and the breaches of the intervention order related to his former partner and her family.

Police alleged that on November 29 last year Wheeler’s partner recorded a heated and threatening argument three days after an intervention order had been put in place protecting her.

When arrested Wheeler left the police station, returned straight to the woman’s home, took her mobile phone on which the argument had been recorded and smashed it.

On April 25 and 26 this year Wheeler sent the woman 329 text messages and called her nine times in breach of the IVO. 

Many of the text messages were abusive and threatening. 

Between July 16 and October 13 there were another 615 contacts, involving 349 phone calls, 151 texts and 115 Facebook messages during which Wheeler threatened to kill the woman and her family.