The Townsville Bulletin reported that a man was sentenced to time served and given immediate parole after pleading guilty to stalking and four charges of contravening a domestic violence order.
The article says he stalked a woman for a year, made abusive phone calls, threatened to kill her, followed her in his car, stole her dog, and poured bleach into her fish tank.
He had previous convictions for stalking and, given the conviction for contravening a domestic violence order, it appears he had abused this woman before.
“After Judge Dick SC declared the 320 days spent in pre-sentence custody as time already served, she sentenced the man to two years’ jail with immediate parole.”
So it seems nothing in this headline is correct. He wasn’t jailed and he wasn’t convicted for killing a fish.
He’s an abusive stalker convicted of terrorising a woman and he was paroled, not jailed.
It was the Townsville Bulletin that provided the headline for the first Fixed It back in 2014. Six years on and it looks like not much has changed.
(If you’re reading this on social media, links are in the OP at www.patreon.com/JaneGilmore )
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If you would like to know more about how and why the media’s erasure of men’s violence against women occurs, the Fixed It book is out now!
Buy your copy here or at any good bookstore. Extracts available on why Fixed It started inThe Guardian, rape and other violence myths in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald and the Good Guy trope on my website.
1800 RESPECT
Sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling and support.24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ph: 1800 737 732
www.1800respect.org.au
Djirra – Aboriginal Family Violence Response & Support Service
9am – 9pm, Monday to Friday
Ph: 1800 105 303
djirra.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ph: 1300 659 467
www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Kids Helpline
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone: 1800 55 1800
www.kidshelp.com.au
MensLine Australia
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Phone: 1300 78 99 78
www.mensline.org.au
Men’s Referral Service
Monday – Friday – 8am-9pm
Weekends – 9am-6pm
Ph: 1300 766 491
www.ntv.org.au/get-help
