A court has sentenced an Australian solicitor to community service and put him on probation for stalking a female law student.
Lawyer Adrian Praljak appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on 16 May facing a charge of unlawful stalking. He was accused of bombarding a female student with hundreds of inappropriate texts and emails, some proclaiming his love for her, others accusing her of cheating on him. According to a report in the Gold Coast Bulletin, Praljak had been dating the student for just two weeks but flooded her inbox with numerous messages between September 2015 to July 2017. In one silver-tongued message he said "I can never be with you because you have slept with many men".
At the hearing, the prosecution told the court that Praljak also sent an email from his former firm, Gold Coast Legal Exchange, threatening to block the female student's admission to practise law. Praljak's lawyer admitted to the court that her client had demonstrated an immaturity in relationships.
The court sentenced Praljak to 180 hours of community service and he was also given an 18 month probation period during which he will be required to enrol in a domestic violence programme.
Praljak playing on his phone |
Praljak playa on his throne | |
On 8 May, Praljak started a new job at firm James McConvill & Associates. His practising certificate was cancelled the next day, and the court hearing took place the following week, as Praljak hit the ground running.
Founder of the firm, James McConvill told RollOnFriday that Praljak started as a lawyer but his role switched to a paralegal "once he surrendered his practising certificate". i.e. after one day. McConvill added that Praljak "is not providing any day-to-day services" at the firm "until he obtains a new practising certificate".
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