By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A KITTENS strip club security guard has denied charges of stalking and threatening a stripper by pressing an illegal handgun against her face.
Patrick Iaulualo, 21, of Hampton Park, allegedly admitted to police to owning the unregistered .22 calibre gun and 150 rounds of matching ammunition found in his car’s back seat, a court bail hearing was told on 22 February.
Iaulualo told police he was armed out of fear of outlaw motorcycle gang members after shots were fired at his South Melbourne workplace in November.
He denied the 19-year-old stripper’s claims they had a brief affair, and that after its demise he stalked, threatened to kill and pulled a gun on her on Australia Day night, the court heard.
Iaulualo counter-claimed that the victim was his “obsessed” stalker.
Detective Senior Constable Craig Dergacz, of Casey CIU, told the court that the married father-of-two phoned the alleged victim, then visited her at a Hallam house that night.
CCTV footage showed Iaulualo driving up and down the street several times before visiting the former work colleague.
The victim agreed to speak in Iaulualo’s car, where he allegedly pulled the gun and placed the barrel against her face, Det Sen Const Dergacz said.
He pressed a button and activated a red laser on the weapon, the victim told police.
At that stage, the victim allegedly feared she would be shot and begged to go home.
Fifteen minutes later, Iaulualo followed the victim’s car, Det Sen Const Dergacz said.
During the drive, he rang to say: “I feel like I’m letting you go too easy”. He allegedly instructed her to pull into a servo or he’d shoot her tyres.
CCTV footage showed the accused approach the victim’s car and sit in the passenger seat.
Iaulualo was later seen pacing up and down as he was locked out of the service station, the court was told.
The following day, police intercepted Iaulualo in his car with the loaded gun and ammunition.
“I hold great fear the victim will be further assaulted and stalked,” Det Sen Const Dergacz said.
In court, defence lawyer Roona Nida said the “alleged victim” was “lying”.
“The worker was interested in spending time with him. They just went to McDonald’s to dinner after work.
“He noticed the victim was becoming obsessed. He said to her that he couldn’t spend time with her because it was against the policy of the club.”
Ms Nida said Iaulualo became “worried and confused” after being told by the victim that “your life is at risk”.
He visited her at her ex-boyfriend’s house to find out what she meant by the comment, Ms Nida said.
“My client has denied having the gun that day. A few weeks earlier she saw the gun in his car.”
At the service station, Iaulualo was agitated when shown a text from ‘Mick’ – a name that the accused recognised as a bikie gang member.
Iaulualo’s wife testified that she and the children were hastily booked into a Dandenong hotel that night because the accused was “scared someone will run through the house”.
She said Iaulualo believed someone was following him and would “hurt us”.
In arguing for bail, Ms Nida said the victim had apologetically texted Iaulualo’s mother since the incident, wishing she “could do something about it”.
Det Sen Const Dergacz told the court the victim had been pressured by the accused’s family and friends into withdrawing the charges – in apparent breach of an intervention order.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell noted Iaulualo’s supportive family in court, that he was just 15 when he committed his only prior offence of armed robbery, and had independent referees vouching for his character.
She refused bail because of the “serious nature” of the charges, including allegedly using an illegal handgun in an indicatable offence.
“I find there’s an unacceptable risk to the victim and frankly to the community.”
Iaulualo will appear at a contest mention at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 1 March.
