Warrnambool magistrate sentences serial stalker from South Australia

Nicola Faiello, 45, of South Australia, made his victims' lives "nothing less than a living hell" when he repeatedly stalked and harassed them after his ex-partner had fled to Warrnambool.

He pleaded guilty to offences in Warrnambool Magistrates Court in August and on Friday, September 15, was jailed for 18 months.

Faiello, who has spent 94 days in pre-sentence detention, must serve a non-parole period of 10 months.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said Faiello embarked on an "extraordinarily diligent and relentless campaign of embarrassments, threats and intimidation with the intention of causing harm, fear or apprehension to (his) victims".

"Your campaign was persistent, planned and carefully executed," he said.

Faiello logged into her personal accounts, posting revenge porn to social media platforms she used to promote her business, disconnected her electricity, altered flight plans on the day of an interstate holiday and stashed illegal steroids in her car.

Faiello also accessed the woman's VicRoads and Netflix accounts, and made multiple attempts to book beauty services through her business, using fake names in order to prohibit her from obtaining jobs.

He shared personal information online about the victim's sister and rang her numerous times while she was at work and played a recording of a dog barking.

In a letter written by Faiello and read to the court by his lawyer, he said he was "truly sorry" and that since being incarcerated he had "commenced (his) journey to be a much better human being".

The court heard the man had a criminal history involving similar offending against the same victim.

A police prosecutor said previous court appearances had not deterred Faiello from being a stalker.

Faiello's lawyer said the offending was not as bad as it could be because it didn't involve physical violence.

The magistrate said he accepted that proposition generally but said psychological and emotional harm could be "every bit destructive and hurtful as physical harm".

"One only needs to consider the powerful victim impact statements read to the court by your victims," he said.

"Your crimes have and continue to have a profound impact on your victims."

During the plea hearing in August the primary victim told the court the man was a "cancer" in her life.

"It feels like... no matter what treatment I undergo he will continue to grow and never go away, no matter the lengths I go to, to remove him from my life," she said.

"It just keeps re-appearing, insidious and malignant. It has affected every part of my lifestyle."

The court heard Faiello was a habitual drug user at the time of the offending but had remained drug-free while in custody awaiting sentence.

IN OTHER LOCAL NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: