A jealous teenager who stalked his ex-girlfriend and broke into her Adelaide home, attacking her and her new boyfriend with a knife, has been sentenced to more than four and a half years in jail. The District Court heard the man, who was 19 at the time, became obsessed and fixated on his ex-girlfriend and her new relationship.
In July last year, after stalking her, sending multiple text messages, and following her home from work to find out where she lived, the teenager broke into her house in the early hours of the morning. The woman woke up when she felt her pillow being pulled from underneath her head. After turning on the light, she and her new boyfriend saw the man crouched next to her bed, wearing black clothes and a balaclava.
During the struggle, the woman and her boyfriend were both stabbed, with the woman suffering a punctured lung. The boyfriend managed to pull off the balaclava and recognized the attacker. Judge Paul Muscat described the offending as serious and motivated by jealousy, rejecting the man's claims that he never intended to hurt anyone.
The man pleaded guilty to aggravated serious criminal trespass in a place of residence, aggravated causing harm with intent, and aggravated recklessly causing harm. A forensic psychologist reported that the man was suffering from an adjustment disorder and depression at the time, and that his behavior seemed out of character. However, Judge Muscat noted that the man could not accept the end of the relationship and became obsessed with wanting to confront his ex-girlfriend and her new partner.
The court heard that the ex-girlfriend remains petrified that he will seek to hurt her in the future and suffers from severe psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. After discounts for guilty pleas, Judge Muscat imposed a total sentence of four years, eight months, and 12 days, with a non-parole period of two years and three months. With time already served, the man will be eligible for parole in October next year.
