A Mortlake man who breached a court order by sending nearly 200 text messages to his former partner has been jailed for 44 days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jason Beasley, 32, of Scott Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to persistently breaching an intervention order.
He was sentenced to the time he has already served in custody on remand.
Lawyer Sara Kingston said Beasley’s relationship with his former partner had deteriorated very quickly, resulting in a rapid escalation in offending.
She said Beasley was going through a hard time and that the messages were not threatening, but a cry for help.
Ms Kingston said her client had spent time on remand with a “calibre of offenders” – an experience that left him feeling anxious and concerned for his safety.
She said the time spent in custody had allowed Beasley to reflect on his offending.
In December Beasley served 13 days in jail after breaching a court order.
He was released on December 17 and placed on a community corrections order.
Then between December 19 and 23 he sent 82 text messages and 13 Facebook messages to his former partner despite a no-contact intervention order preventing him from doing so.
The victim attended the Warrnambool police station to report the breach on December 24 and Beasley attempted to call her while she was there.
The court heard he sent another 110 text messages between December 25 and 27.
Police said the messages were not threatening but included song lyrics Beasley wished to be played at his funeral.
Magistrate Franz Holzer said persistently breaching an order imposed by the court was a serious offence.
He said it was disappointing Beasley had returned to court for similar offending so soon after he was released from custody.
“And from your point of view, (it is) embarrassing,” Mr Holzer said.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.