A MAN has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service after he threatened to burn down an ex-partner’s house and sent her a video taken through her window into her home.
John Gouveia Carvalho (42) appeared in the Magistrate’s Court via videolink on Friday morning, where he was sentenced for sending threatening messages and breaking bail conditions.
Legal adviser Harrison Gollop, prosecuting, said the police had received a call in April from the victim, who said Carvalho had been harassing her.
In one of the messages, he threatened to burn down her house. He had also recorded a video of the victim in her home, taken at night through the window.
Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke, presiding, said the video was “clearly disturbing for the complainant”.
“In the court’s view, it was intended to be so disturbing.”
He was then released on police bail, but contacted her again.
After pleading guilty, he was released on conditional bail.
“However, he then breached it seven days later. He is remanded in custody since,” Mr Gollop said.
“The defendant has a long-standing and working history of domestic abuse,” he said, adding that on top of the threat to burn down her home, Carvalho had also approached friends and family when she had decided to end the relationship.
The victim was concerned that he had “little or no regard to the conditions set by the court”, Mr Gollop added.
Advocate Estelle Burns, defending, said he was “aware the messages and voice notes were excessive”.
Carvalho was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and a 12-month probation order, and he received a domestic abuse protection order and was put on the domestic abusers’ register for five years.
Assistant Magistrate Clarke warned him: “If you fail to comply with any of these orders, you will be brought back to court immediately. Please ensure that you do not.”
