The woman (who The Courier has chosen not to name) appeared in the Ballarat Magistrate’s Court on Monday, charged with harassment and breach of an Intervention Order (IVO).

The court heard that the woman had been in a relationship with the victim and that had ended in 2017.

Police said the relationship had ended amicably according to the victim, though later in the court proceedings, the woman instructed her defence lawyer David Eldridge she refuted that and the relationship had ended acrimoniously.

The former partner and victim had taken out an interim IVO in November 2017 and a full IVO was finalised on 2 May 2018.

The court heard that between 2 and 3 May 2018, the accused had called the victim 26 times and had left 11 voicemail messages.

She also sent five text messages and also contacted a friend of the victim via Instagram and had made threatening statements about the victim.

According to the police brief, on 4 May 2018 the accused had also attempted to contact the victim via a false Instagram account that she had created.

The victim then reported the contact to police, saying he was “living in fear” and that the harassment was making him feel “trapped and alone.” 

The police prosecutor said the accused woman was interviewed on 3 July 2018 where she made some admissions and “acknowledged some of the offending.”

Mr Eldridge submitted a statement from the woman’s psychologist and a report from forensic psychologist, Dr Aaron Cunningham and requested that, in light of the accused’s mental health, a non-conviction be recorded. 

Magistrate Bob Kumar told the accused that the charge she was facing “carries a term of imprisonment” and that if she offended again, “she may not be so lucky.”

He said he was taking into account her age and guilty plea and placed her on a 12-month adjourned undertaking, ordered her to pay $500 and instructed she continue to have ongoing psychological treatment.