A MAN has been spared further jail time despite making his ex-partner's life "hell" for at least a month.
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The man pleaded guilty on July 12 to persistently contravening a family violence intervention order, making threats to kill, making threats to inflict serious injury, aggravated burglary, and contravening a family violence intervention order with the intent to cause harm or fear.
He was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to an 18-month community corrections order, in addition to 11 months imprisonment already served.
On July 12, the court heard that the man broke into his ex-girlfriend's home and threatened to kill her new partner in an "ice-fuelled rage".
The court heard that a family violence intervention order was issued on January 11, 2019, with the man's former partner listed as the protected person.
Under the order, the man could not contact the woman or go within five metres of her.
Between January 26 and February 5, the man persistently breached the order by contacting the woman via phone and social media.
The messages became more threatening as the week progressed, with the man telling her that he could "chop (her) little boyfriend's fingers off his f****** hands".
On the evening of February 5, the man was seen walking around the backyard of his ex-girlfriend's home with a flashlight.
A short time later, the power went off in the woman's property, scaring the woman and her seven-year-old son.
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The woman's new partner, who had been outside smoking, spotted the offender and returned inside where he locked the door. He also checked the bedrooms to make sure the offender wasn't trying to break in.
At the same time, the woman saw that the kitchen window was open and the offender was trying to get inside.
The woman told him not to and he stopped, before he became abusive and told her he "had enough bullets to end his life" if they called police.
The woman repeatedly asked the man to leave as he continued to threaten her new partner, saying he would "end him".
At some stage, the woman told her new partner to leave the property with her son through a bedroom window.
Police arrived a short time later and the man pushed through the flywire screen to enter the house. The woman tried to stop him, but he pushed her out of the way.
The court heard the man then ran through the house looking for the woman's new partner.
An object fell out of the man's pocket and he retrieved it before fleeing through the back door of the property.
He flung the object, which was the head of a hammer, into the neighbour's backyard.
The court heard then on February 14, the man sent the woman 87 messages. He also came to the front door of her home and tried to open the door while appearing drug affected.
The next day, the man sent the woman another 50 messages and tried to call her seven times in two minutes. In the messages, he called the woman "evil and betraying".
The man sent the woman several more messages over the next two days and called her 27 times in three minutes on February 17.
The woman went to report the incidents to Echuca Police on February 18.
He called her while she was driving to the station and said he would "kick (her) in the guts" so that she couldn't have kids with anyone else.
The man also threatened to post her naked photographs on social media and tried to call her 19 times in 30 minutes.
The court heard on February 26, the man contacted the woman several times on the social media app, Snapchat.
He told the woman that her boyfriend would be "hurt by today's end".
The man was arrested and interviewed on March 18. He did not provide any information to investigators.
In sentencing, Judge Carolene Gwynn said the effect of the offending on the victim and her children has been ongoing.
"You made [her] life hell for at least a month, if not more," the judge said.
"Your behaviour was appalling and shocking and reflected ice-fuelled male rage."
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described her fears for her own safety and her children's safety after the incident.
She said her son had night terrors, because he was worried the man was hiding in the house.
She said she now had depression and high anxiety, couldn't enjoy her friends, and had lost weight from stress.
The judge said she took into account the man's guilty plea in sentencing.
Among the conditions of the man's community corrections order was that he complete programs to reduce his risk of reoffending. The judge specified a men's behavioural change program.
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