By PRATHAMESH DESHPANDE
An Esperance man was fined for 41 offences including breaching a family violence restraining order (FVRO), police order, and protective bail conditions at the Esperance Magistrates Court on August 1.
Wayne Norman Lomax, 28, pleaded guilty to 19 charges of breaching FVRO and 19 charges of breaching protective bail conditions on several occasions in June, while already being convicted for two charges of breaching police order and one charge of yet another breach of the FVRO.
Senior constable Carolyn Petersen said the offender was in a two-year family domestic relationship with the victim before they separated in March 2023.
She said he sent her messages on Snapchat including “can you talk to me?” and went to her house and said he was “not leaving until you come out and talk to me”.
Snr Constable Petersen said the messages were not violent or intimidating.
She said when the police asked the victim why she responded to Lomax’s messages, she said she did not want him to show up at her address.
Snr Constable Petersen said there were a total of 740 messages exchanged on Snapchat.
Defence lawyer Johnson Kitto said the text conversations were “by no means unsolicited or unprovoked”.
He said it was the victim who initiated contact with Lomax on text requesting financial assistance and was “quite engaging in this dialogue”.
Mr Kitto said when the matter became legal, she deleted all messages from Snapchat.
He said Lomax “luckily had screenshots of the conversation”.
Mr Kitto said his conduct with the police and the victim had been reasonable and he did not “victim shame” her.
He attributed Lomax’s behaviour to being intoxicated but maintained that he was not an alcoholic.
Mr Kitto said Lomax did not plan to return to Esperance if released from the Eastern Goldfields regional prison where he had been for 25 days.
Magistrate Janie Gibbs told Lomax he did not “pose a risk to the safety of the protected person or the public generally”.
“I’m quite satisfied,” she said.
Magistrate Gibbs imposed a global fine of $1,000 and court cost of $137 for the 38 offences.
She fined him $200 and court cost of $137 for the first breach of police order, while $300 and court cost of $137 for the second breach, for which he was convicted on June 13.
Magistrate Gibbs also fined him $400 and court cost of $137 for one charge of breaching the FVRO, for which he was convicted on July 4.
