A man convicted of sending an intimate image of his ex-girlfriend without her consent has tried to avoid having his own photo taken by the media outside Moruya Local Court.
Brandon Williams exited the building on Friday afternoon with a blue folder covering his face and walked from one side of the verandah to the other and the same again on the front lawn to avoid this journalist and another from The Bay Post.
The court was told Matthews admitted sending the screenshot, taken from Snapchat when they were in the short relationship, but pleaded not guilty.
He told police he had reacted after seeing the victim post a number of bikini shots of herself on Instagram which he sent to her father labelling them “inappropriate”.
The court was told Matthews bombarded the victim with close to 50 phone calls within a few hours on New Years Day night but argued it was sent by accident to her stepmother after getting highly intoxicated on Hard Solo at Moruya Rodeo.
“The only evidence of being highly intoxicated is from him,” Police Prosecutor Corey Ware told the court.
“Yet he still managed to look at Instagram, make the phone calls, was talking to his mum at the same time,” he said.
“When the victim’s stepmother asked him why he sent her the image he just replied ‘ha ha’.
Williams lawyer Adam Sumbak told Judge Doug Dick his client should be found not guilty for six reasons.
– He admitted the truth sending the image;
– He was consistent in his response;
– He had a good relationship with the victim’s father and stepmum;
– It was not several images but one;
– The evidence from the complainant that he was intoxicated; and
– He is of good character. Had never been convicted of this type of offence.
Judge Dick didn’t agree with the arguments.
“The interview conducted by police was fair,” he told the court.
“When asked why her sent the image his response was ha ha.”
Judge Dick told the court Matthews admitted seeing the photos of her on Instagram triggered him.
“He thought ‘fuck you’ and sent them,” he said.
“I am satisfied that she didn’t consent to the sending of the image. I find the offence proven.”
Williams was fined $2000 after a hearing were he was found guilty of the crime as well as breaching a previous Community Corrections Order.
A woman who said she was Matthew’s mother later approached us to say we should not be taking her son’s photo before taking our picture and saying she was going to complain to our boss.
During the hearing, the court heard Williams was messaging backwards and forwards with his mum at the time he sent the intimate image.
