A woman who repeatedly harassed her ex-partner with phone calls while there was an active apprehended violence order in place has been sentenced at Goulburn Local Court.
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Christine Valerie Shepherd, 46, was fined a total of $1900 and ordered to comply with a two year community corrections order after being found guilty of five offences.
Shepherd was sentenced on Wednesday for using a carriage service to harrass and contravening an AVO three times and acting with intent to influence a witness.
Police documents show that Shepherd entered into a relationship with Craig Mobbs in late 2019 which Mobbs ended in March 2021, something Shepherd "had trouble understanding".
Over the next two months Shepherd engaged in a routine of constantly messaging and calling Mobbs, including 31 texts, and visiting his house without invitation, including once on March 24 when - after not receiving a response from knocking on his door - Shepherd proceeded to circle the house, repeatedly knocking on walls.
On April 1, Mobbs recognised Shepherd's voice coming from a car parked in front of his house when he went outside for a smoke. On April 13 he took out an AVO against Shepherd.
That order would be breached three times over the ensuing months with Shepherd using a mutual friend to contact Mobbs.
On one of these occasions, Shepherd pressured Mobbs over the phone to go to Goulburn Courthouse and request to withdraw the AVO and related charges, which Mobbs said he "felt pressured to do".
Mobbs subsequently did this the following day however after being again contacted by Shepherd though the friend, this time asking him to repeat the process at Goulburn Police Station, he declined and on May 27 Mobbs gave police a two page statement of complaint.
Shepherd handed herself in at the station later that night where she was arrested and charged, before being granted bail.
The final breach came on September 15 when Mobbs witnessed Shepherd enter First Choice Liquor on Auburn Streets where he was waiting in queue.
After completing his purchase, Mobbs walked back to his car only to be confronted by Shepherd who placed her hand on the drivers seat window, preventing its closure, and talking to Mobbs despite him repeatedly asking her to leave.
Once again she turned herself over to police shortly after and bail was again granted.
Shepherd's lawyer Hassan Ameen requested leniency, arguing that the charge of use of carriage service occurred when no AVO was in place and that her breaches of said the order fell at the low-range of seriousness, given her actions were non-violent.
Mr Ameen also argued that his client's actions were born out of a desire to "make the relationship work" and a frustration at it ending.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie agreed that despite the quantity of contact, it was not threatening. However she took Shepherd to task over her attempt to have Mobbs withdraw the AVO.
'It's pretty clear this person wanted nothing to do with you. You making contact was inappropriate," she said.
"Courts work on the basis of someone making a complaint, it gets investigated, evidence is served, charges laid and it comes to court. I listen and then make a decision.
"Your actions went behind all of that by getting Mr Mobbs to do a statuary declaration to take away the AVO in this very courthouse.
"It's alarming that someone goes to that length to go against what this court is all about."
Magistrate Beattie sentenced Shepherd to multiple community correction orders and fines totaling $1900.
Another AVO was also put into effect lasting two years with the magistrate warning Shepherd any further breaches could result in prison time.
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