A MAN has been convicted and fined after he called his former partner a "low-life dog" during a series of abusive messages.
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The 54-year-old man appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court last month where he pleaded guilty to the two charges of breaching a family violence intervention order.
The court heard the man had been in a relationship with the woman for about a year.
On November 16, 2018, a final family violence intervention order was issued with the woman listed as the protected person.
Under the order, the man was not allowed to contact the woman or go near her.
The court heard on July 12, 2019, the man sent the woman an abusive message after she initiated contact.
He then sent a further eight messages on July 15, calling her a "piece of sh**" and a "low-life dog mutt".
The man was arrested on August 6. He denied sending any of the abusive messages during his police interview.
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The 54-year-old man, who represented himself in court, told the magistrate he had not been in contact with the woman for about a year, despite her attempts to contact him.
He said he had been in a "bad state" when he sent the abusive messages but he had since changed his phone number, moved properties, and was working full time.
Magistrate Megan Aumair said breaching an intervention order was a serious offence and the abusive messages were "worrying".
But Ms Aumair said given that the offences were dated and the man had not reoffended, she would convict and fine him $600.
If the man did not plead guilty, he would have been sentenced to a community corrections order.
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